Plasma Flow Research Articles

Duskward displacement of plasmoids and reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail

Magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail is responsible for explosive release of energy during substorms and auroral breakups. This near-tail reconnection was previously assumed to occur around the midnight meridian, where earthward flows were typically observed. Based on observations of tailward-moving plasmoids, the Geotail spacecraft mission discovered that the reconnection location was displaced toward dusk. This dusk preference is presumably caused by the Hall electric field, as was suggested later in simulations. However, recent spacecraft observations have indicated that the reconnection was displaced toward dawn, and not dusk, in Mercury’s magnetotail. In response to this controversy, our study aims to clarify the dawn–dusk location of fast plasma flows in the near-Earth magnetotail. Through a comprehensive reinterpretation and integration of previous statistical results, we found that the dusk preference is generally evident for tailward flows but is often absent for earthward flows. These results indicate that the statistical results of earthward flows are sensitive to event selection criteria. We conclude that the dawn–dusk location of earthward flow is statistically unclear at the time of substorm onset. Similarly, in the magnetotail of other planets, the dawn–dusk location of planetward flow may be sensitive to event selection criteria. Hence, reconnection may occur predominantly on the duskside in Mercury’s magnetotail. This hypothesis will be tested using observations of tailward-moving plasmoids by the BepiColombo Mio spacecraft, which will begin orbital observations of Mercury in the year 2026.Graphical

Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites

It is well understood that near midnight, the Harang Discontinuity separates the auroral duskside eastward electrojet (EEJ) and dawnside westward electrojet (WEJ) and associated plasma flows driven by enhanced magnetospheric convections via Magnetosphere–Ionosphere (M–I) coupling. There are conflicting reports regarding the significance of Region1 (R1) and R2 currents and the enhancement of Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) in the Harang region. We investigate the M–I conjugate Harang and SAPS phenomena using multipoint satellite observations. Results show the inner-magnetosphere (1) Harang region at midnight (between the plasmapause and the closed/open field-line boundary) with (2) a strong SAPS electric field (EX ≈ 30 mV/m; in magnitude) in a fast-time voltage generator (VGFT) near the plasmapause and the topside ionosphere (3) Harang Discontinuity (where R1 and R2 currents flow along) with (4) an enhanced SAPS flow (~1800 m/s) in the underlying VGFT system (requiring no R2 currents). From these (1–4) findings we conclude (i) the significance of both R1 and R2 currents in the observed M–I conjugate Harang phenomenon’s development, (ii) the different development of the reversing EEJ–WEJ compared to the regular auroral EEJ and WEJ in the topside ionosphere R1–R2 system, and (iii) the R2 currents’ absence in the enhanced SAPS flow newly formed in the VGFT system.

Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning

An integrated modeling framework for investigating the application of solid boron (B) powder injection for real-time surface conditioning of plasma-facing components (PFCs) in tokamak environments is presented. Utilizing the DIII-D impurity powder dropper (IPD) setup, this study simulates B powder injection scenarios ranging from milligrams to tens of milligrams per second, corresponding to boron flux rates of 1020–1021 B/s in standard L-mode conditions. The comprehensive modeling approach combines EMC3-EIRENE for simulating the deuterium plasma background and the Dust Injection Simulator (DIS) for the ablation and transport of the boron powder particles. EMC3 trace impurity fluid modeling results show substantial boron transport to the inboard lower divertor, predominantly influenced by the main ion plasma flow. The dependency on powder particle size (5–250μm) was found to be insignificant for the scenario considered. The effects of erosion and redeposition were considered to reconcile the discrepancies with experimental observations, which saw substantial deposition on the outer divertor plasma-facing components. For this purpose, the WallDYN3D code was updated to include boron sources within the plasma domain and integrated into the modeling framework. The mixed-material migration modeling shows evolving boron deposition patterns, suggesting the formation of mixed B-C layers or predominantly B coverage depending on the powder mass flow rate. While the modeling outcomes at lower B injection rates tend to align with DIII-D experimental observations, the prediction of near-pure boron layers at higher rates has yet to be experimentally verified in the carbon environment of the DIII-D tokamak. The extensive reach of boron layers found in the modeling suggests the need for modeling that encompasses the entire wall geometry for more accurate experimental correlations. This integrated approach sets a precedent for analyzing and applying real-time in-situ boron coating techniques in advanced tokamak scenarios, potentially extendable to ITER.

Radial-to-axial flows in a scaled pulsed-power scheme for producing outflows resembling YSO jets

Young stellar objects (YSOs) are protostars that exhibit bipolar outflows fed by accretion disks. Theories of the transition between disk and outflow often involve a complex magnetic field structure thought to be created by the disk coiling field lines at the jet base; however, due to limited resolution, these theories cannot be confirmed with observation and thus may benefit from laboratory astrophysics studies. We create a dynamically similar laboratory system by driving a $\sim$ 1 MA current pulse with a 200 ns rise through a $\approx$ 2 mm-tall Al cylindrical wire array mounted to a three-dimensional (3-D)-printed, stainless steel scaffolding. This system creates a plasma that converges on the centre axis and ejects cm-scale bipolar outflows. Depending on the chosen 3-D-printed load path, the system may be designed to push the ablated plasma flow radially inwards or off-axis to make rotation. In this paper, we present results from the simplest iteration of the load which generates radially converging streams that launch non-rotating jets. The temperature, velocity and density of the radial inflows and axial outflows are characterized using interferometry, gated optical and ultraviolet imaging, and Thomson scattering diagnostics. We show that experimental measurements of the Reynolds number and sonic Mach number in three different stages of the experiment scale favourably to the observed properties of YSO jets with $Re\sim 10^5\unicode{x2013}10^9$ and $M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}10$ , while our magnetic Reynolds number of $Re_M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}15$ indicates that the magnetic field diffuses out of our plasma over multiple hydrodynamical time scales. We compare our results with 3-D numerical simulations in the PERSEUS extended magnetohydrodynamics code.

Large solar energetic particles and solar radio emissions during Cycle 25. A comparative analysis of trends and characteristics with cycles 23 and 24

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) affect space weather in both the heliosphere and on Earth. The present study investigates the occurrences of large SEP events focusing on their influence on the Earth, as well as their correlation with solar radio bursts (SRBs). The velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) is used to calculate the release times of large SEP events from their launch locations, as well as their apparent path length that connects them to interplanetary magnetic fields lines. According to the study, 122 large SEP events impacted the planet Earth from 1997 to 2024. The comparison of occurrence rates with previous solar cycles (SCs) suggests that SC 25 will peak with greater solar activity than the cycle 24 in terms of large SEP occurrences since large SEP events correlate well with the pattern of the sunspot cycle progression. In general, a few (35 out of 122) large SEP events are typically released from the Sun at times that coincide with the peak of associated solar flares and the onsets of corresponding SRBs indicating no delay while the rest have delayed in the release. The projected apparent lengths (L) range from 1.0 to 3.0 AU, with L exceeding 1.5 AU due to particle scattering and launch site pitch angles. The majority (115/122) of SEP occurrences are accelerated by shock waves from solar flares, CMEs, and fast plasma flow in the magnetic reconnection regions. Relevant SRBs for space weather study as they precede large SEP events diagnose the properties of particle populations propelled by solar flares and CMEs. This study finds that 90% of the large SEP events are preceded by solar radio emissions of type II, III and IV; and WAVES/STEREO revealed ∼76% of SRBs have continuation in IP medium indicating the dynamics of associated shocks and electron beams traveling along open and quasi-open magnetic field lines. Thus, SRB monitoring continues to be a valuable tool for studying space weather and understanding physical phenomena in the solar corona and IP medium, such as particle populations that cause large SEP occurrences.

The estimation of growth rate for excited MHD wave triggered by gravitational waves in the relativistic magnetized plasmas in binary merger of neutron stars

Abstract In this paper, we demonstrated that the gravitational wave and magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) waves coherently interact in relativistic magnetized plasmas, where they also exchange energy with plasma flows. We developed the formulation for wave interaction moving either parallel or perpendicular to the background plasma magnetic field. In the model, we consider the plasma components to drift in the background and expanding the range of potential evolution. The typical time scales in terms of growth rate for the conversion of energy between gravitational and MHD waves are estimated by the analytical solution of the interaction equations. It is found in particular that there are explosive instabilities that result in the interaction of gravitational and the MHD waves. The process is a significant mechanism for the acceleration of baryons to high Lorentz factors seen in short Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) when the gravitational wave drives MHD modes and delivers energy to the plasma.

Erosion enhancement by impurity entrainment in the highly collisional plasmas of Magnum-PSI

Abstract Extrinsic impurity seeding is planned for ITER to avoid high heat fluxes to the tungsten divertor targets. Nevertheless, excessive sputtering by impurities would lead to a reduction in fusion power output and divertor lifetime. Unlike today's fusion devices, the entrainment of impurities is expected to play an increasing role in ITER's highly collisional near-surface plasma. Impurity entrainment refers to the acceleration of impurities with the plasma flow by collisional drag, leading to elevated impact energies. To investigate impurity entrainment under ITER-like plasma conditions ($n_e > 2 \cdot 10^{20}$ m$^{-3}$, $T_e <$ 5 eV), argon-seeded hydrogen plasmas were formed with the linear plasma generator Magnum-PSI. Doppler shifts in spatially-resolved emission profiles of argon (Ar II - 480.6 nm) and hydrogen (H$_\mathrm{\beta}$ - 486.1 nm) reveal the entrainment of seeded argon towards the upstream hydrogen velocity ($\sim$9 cm from surface), corresponding to $\sim$0.39 of the common-system sound speed. In addition, the sputtering yield of tungsten by argon bombardment for the argon-seeded hydrogen plasma was compared to a pure argon plasma by monitoring tungsten (W I - 400.9 nm) emission. These sputtering experiments indicate further entrainment of the argon impurities to $\sim$0.65 of the common-system sound speed at the sheath edge, leading to a large increase in their impact energy. Extrapolation of the Magnum-PSI results to ITER, using existing SOLPS-ITER simulations to determine the divertor plasma conditions, indicates more than an order of magnitude increase in gross erosion of the divertor targets due to impurity entrainment. However, the net erosion rate could still be kept under control if high re-deposition rates are achieved, which is treated in the companion paper \cite{Cornelissen2023}. The combination of a low sputtering threshold energy and high impact energy of impurities constrains the fine balance between radiative cooling with impurity seeding and avoiding extensive divertor erosion.

Numerical simulation of YSO jet collimated by toroidal magnetic fields and radiative cooling effect

Abstract The mechanism of generation and collimation of YSO jets remains an unsolved problem and is a research hotspot in contemporary astrophysics. Here, we conducted a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrical coordinates simulation experiment using radiative magnetic-hydro-dynamic FLASH code and systematically analyzed the effects of toroidal magnetic fields generated by Biermann Battery term and radiative cooling effect on jet evolution. In the simulation, strong toroidal magnetic fields are generated at the boundary of the plasma flow. A comparison of jets generated in different cases indicates that the magnetic fields play a significant role in hydrocarbon (CH) plasma jet collimation, surpassing the impact of radiative cooling effects. Additionally, it is observed that the magnetic fields can alter knots velocities. This platform provides a way to investigate the role of toroidal magnetic fields in jet evolution without external devices and provides a better understanding of the evolution of protostellar jets.

Effect of dapagliflozin on renal haemodynamics in hyperfiltering T2D patients.

To investigate the effect of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor [SGLT-2i] therapy on renal haemodynamics in T2D patients with glomerular hyperfiltration. Sixty T2D patients with elevated [HYPER] and normal [NORMO] GFR were randomized to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day [DAPA/HYPER, n = 15; DAPA/NORMO, n = 15] or to metformin/glipizide [CONTROL/HYPER, n = 15; CONTROL/NORMO, n = 15] to reach similar glycaemic control after 4 months. GFR was measured with Iohexol and hyperfiltration was empirically defined as >125 mL/min/1.73 m2. GFR, renal plasma flow [RPF], mean arterial pressure [MAP], filtration fraction [FF], and renal vascular resistance [RVR] were determined before/after therapy. HbA1c decreased similarly in all 4 groups. GFR declined by ~18% in DAPA/HYPER and by ~7% in DAPA/NORMO and did not change in CONTROLS (p < 0.05 vs. DAPA). RPF remained unchanged in all four groups. Thus, FF (%) declined from 0.23 ± 0.01 to 0.18 ± 0.01 in DAPA/HYPER and from 0.17 ± 0.01 to 0.15 ± 0.01 in DAPA/NORMO and remained unchanged in CONTROLS (p < 0.05 vs. DAPA). MAP (mmHg) decreased from 95.4 ± 1.4 to 88.1 ± 1.3 in DAPA/HYPER and from 95.6 ± 1.3 to 91.8 ± 0.8 in DAPA/NORMO and remained unchanged in CONTROLS (p < 0.05 vs. DAPA). RVR [mmHg/L/min] declined in DAPA/HYPER (92.7 ± 7.8 to 80.4 ± 6.1) and DAPA/NORMO (90.1 ± 3.0 to 81.4 ± 2.1) but not in CONTROLS (p < 0.05 vs. DAPA). Despite comparable glycaemic control, dapagliflozin treatment, but not metformin and /or glipizide, reduced glomerular hyperfiltration in T2D patients and decreased both filtration fraction and renal vascular resistance. These findings suggest that a post-glomerular vasodilatory action of SGLT2 inhibitors contributes to their renal protective effect in T2D.

Interaction of the Prominence Plasma within the Magnetic Cloud of an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection with the Earth’s Bow Shock

The magnetic cloud within an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) is characterized by high magnetic field intensities. In this study, we investigate the interaction of a magnetic cloud carrying a density structure with the Earth’s bow shock during the ICME event on 2023 April 24. Elevated abundances of cold protons and heavier ions, namely, alpha particles and singly charged helium ions, associated with the prominence plasma are observed within this structure. The plasma downstream of the bow shock exhibits an irregular compression pattern, which could be due to the presence of heavy ions. Heavy ions carry a significant fraction of the upstream flow energy; however, due to their different mass-per-charge ratio and rigidity, they are less scattered by the electromagnetic and electrostatic waves at the shock. We find that downstream of the shock, while the ion thermal energy is only a small fraction of the background magnetic energy, nevertheless increased ion fluxes reduce the characteristic wave speeds in that region. As such, we observe a transition state of an unstable bow shock in which the plasma flow is super Alfvénic both upstream and downstream of the bow shock. Our findings help with the understanding of the intense space weather impacts of such events.

Effect of Regimes of Processing Pulsed Flows of Plasma on the Corrosion Properties of Structural Steels

Effect of Regimes of Processing Pulsed Flows of Plasma on the Corrosion Properties of Structural Steels

Measurements and kinetic modeling of O2 vibrational Kknetics in O2-Ar mixtures partially dissociated by a Ns pulse discharge

Abstract Vibrational kinetics of O2 is studied during the O atom recombination in an O2-Ar mixture, partially dissociated by a burst of ns discharge pulses in a heated plasma flow reactor. The time-resolved temperature in the discharge afterglow is determined by Rayleigh scattering. Time-resolved O atom number density is measured by ps Two-Photon absorption Laser Induced Fluorescence (TALIF), calibrated in xenon. Time-resolved vibrational level populations of molecular oxygen, O2(v=8-20), are measured by ps Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), with the absolute calibration by NO LIF. Time-resolved ozone number density is monitored by broadband UV absorption. The results are compared with the predictions of a state-specific kinetic model. The experimental data indicate a rapid initial decay of O2(v) populations generated by electron impact in the discharge, due to the vibration-translation (V-T) relaxation by O atoms. This is followed by a slower population reduction, on the time scale much longer compared to that for V-T relaxation or vibration-vibration (V-V) exchange. Both O atoms and the O2(v) populations decay on the same time scale, indicating that chemical reactions initiated by the O atom recombination result in the generation of vibrationally excited O2 molecules. These trends are reproduced by the kinetic model, which shows that the reaction of O atoms with ozone is the dominant pathway of O2(v) generation at the present conditions. The predicted relative O2(v) populations are close to the experimental results, but absolute number densities differ from the experimental data. This is likely due to uncertainties in the absolute calibration of LIF measurements and in the spectroscopic model used in the data reduction. The present work demonstrates the capability for the absolute, time-resolved measurements of vibrationally excited O2 in recombining gas flows, to quantify the energy partition in the recombination reactions.

Turbulent plasma flow, its energies, and structures: Velocity vortices, magnetic field cocoons, and plasmoids

Turbulent flows are believed to be present in the solar corona, especially in connection with solar flares and coronal mass ejections. They are supposed to be very effective processes in energy transportation and can contribute to the heating of the solar corona. We study turbulence in reconnection outflows associated with flares and coronal mass ejections. We simulated the generation and evolution of the turbulent plasma flow and investigated its energies and formed plasma velocity and magnetic field structures. For the numerical simulations, we adopted a three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, in which we solved a full set of the 3D time-dependent resistive and compressible MHD equations using the Lare3d numerical code. We numerically studied turbulence in the plasma flow in the model with the plasma parameters that could simulate processes in the magnetic reconnection outflows in solar flares. Starting from a non-turbulent plasma flow in the energetically closed system, we studied the evolution of the kinetic, internal, and magnetic energies during the turbulence generation. We found that most of the kinetic energy is transformed into the plasma heating (about $95 &lt;!PCT!&gt;$) and only a small part to the magnetic energy (about $5 &lt;!PCT!&gt;$). The turbulence in the system evolves to the saturation stage with the power-law index of the kinetic density spectrum, $-5/3$. Magnetic energy is also saturated due to its dissipation and reconnection in small and complex magnetic field structures. We show examples of the structures formed in studied turbulent flow: velocity vortices, magnetic field cocoons, and plasmoids.

In Situ Observational Evidence of the Polar Cap Arc at 1500 MLT (15MLT‐PCA) Associated With the Lobe Reconnection

AbstractThe polar cap arc at 1500 MLT (15MLT‐PCA) has been considered as an auroral signature of the cusp's duskside boundary and been speculated to be caused by lobe reconnection. However, no observational evidence has been provided to support this speculation. Here we report a 15MLT‐PCA event occurred on 29 November 2017 using multi‐instrument observations. During the DMSP observed the 15MLT‐PCA, Cluster, with its footprints at the root of the 15MLT‐PCA, identified two FTEs in the southern hemisphere's lobe region, accompanied by an increase in electron and ion energy from hundreds of eVs to several keVs. AMPERE observed an increase in upward field‐aligned currents associated with the 15MLT‐PCA. SuperDARN observed a single cell convection with an enhancement of sunward plasma flow near the root of 15MLT‐PCA. We suggest that these observations provide the in‐situ observational evidence that the 15MLT‐PCA is generated by a lobe reconnection at the cusp's duskside boundary.

A computational algorithm for optimal design of a bioartificial organ scaffold architecture.

We develop a computational algorithm based on a diffuse interface approach to study the design of bioartificial organ scaffold architectures. These scaffolds, composed of poroelastic hydrogels housing transplanted cells, are linked to the patient's blood circulation via an anastomosis graft. Before entering the scaffold, the blood flow passes through a filter, and the resulting filtered blood plasma transports oxygen and nutrients to sustain the viability of transplanted cells over the long term. A key issue in maintaining cell viability is the design of ultrafiltrate channels within the hydrogel scaffold to facilitate advection-enhanced oxygen supply ensuring oxygen levels remain above a critical threshold to prevent hypoxia. In this manuscript, we develop a computational algorithm to analyze the plasma flow and oxygen concentration within hydrogels featuring various channel geometries. Our objective is to identify the optimal hydrogel channel architecture that sustains oxygen concentration throughout the scaffold above the critical hypoxic threshold. The computational algorithm we introduce here employs a diffuse interface approach to solve a multi-physics problem. The corresponding model couples the time-dependent Stokes equations, governing blood plasma flow through the channel network, with the time-dependent Biot equations, characterizing Darcy velocity, pressure, and displacement within the poroelastic hydrogel containing the transplanted cells. Subsequently, the calculated plasma velocity is utilized to determine oxygen concentration within the scaffold using a diffuse interface advection-reaction-diffusion model. Our investigation yields a scaffold architecture featuring a hexagonal network geometry that meets the desired oxygen concentration criteria. Unlike classical sharp interface approaches, the diffuse interface approach we employ is particularly adept at addressing problems with intricate interface geometries, such as those encountered in bioartificial organ scaffold design. This study is significant because recent developments in hydrogel fabrication make it now possible to control hydrogel rheology and utilize computational results to generate optimized scaffold architectures.

Toroidal torques due to n=1 magnetic perturbations in ITER baseline scenario

Abstract Toroidal torques, generated by the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) and acting on the plasma column, are numerically systematically investigated for an ITER baseline scenario. The neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV), in particular the resonant portion, is found to provide the dominant contribution to the total toroidal torque under the slow plasma flow regime in ITER. While the electromagnetic torque always opposes the plasma flow, the toroidal torque associated with the Reynolds stress enhances the plasma flow independent of the flow direction. A peculiar double-peak structure for the net NTV torque is robustly computed for ITER, as the toroidal rotation frequency is scanned near the zero value. This structure is found to be ultimately due to a non-monotonic behavior of the wave-particle resonance integral (over the particle pitch angle) in the superbanana plateau NTV regime in ITER. These findings are qualitatively insensitive to variations of a range of factors including the wall resistivity, the plasma pedestal flow and the assumed frequency of the rotating RMP field.

Transpolar Arcs Are Not Always Cusp‐Aligned: Evidence of HiLDA‐Aligned Arcs

AbstractTranspolar arcs (TPAs) are often cusp‐aligned. Especially when multiple TPAs appear simultaneously, they join at the auroral signature of the cusp. Here we investigate the dayside connection point of TPAs using Defense Meteorological Satellite Program measurements and identify three cases where the tip of the TPA ends in a localized brightening. One is a typical cusp spot with a TPA attached. The cusp appears just poleward of the oval with a near circular shape. In the second case, multiple cusp spots are observed over a 3 MLT wide region, each connected to a TPA. In the third case, the brightening at the tip of a TPA is identified as high‐latitude dayside aurora (HiLDA). Cusp aurora appears between the HiLDA and the duskside oval. Plasma flows and particle characteristics indicate a lobe origin of the HiLDA. Our results indicate a more complicated connection between TPAs and dayside aurora than previously anticipated.

Effect of gravitational stratification, longitudinal temperature inhomogeneity, radiative cooling and background plasma flow on torsional Alfvén oscillations of a coronal loop

Effect of gravitational stratification, longitudinal temperature inhomogeneity, radiative cooling and background plasma flow on torsional Alfvén oscillations of a coronal loop

Hybrid Simulations of the Martian Magnetotail Twist

Three-dimensional global hybrid simulations are performed to explore how the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the Martian crustal fields, and planetary pickup ions affect the twisting of the Martian magnetotail. The results agree with previous studies that the crustal magnetic fields cause the Martian magnetotail to twist counterclockwise or clockwise depending on the sign of the IMF Y-component in the Mars solar orbital coordinates. However, the twist is more pronounced when the crustal fields are on the nightside, contradicting the early explanation that the crustal fields affect the twist through dayside magnetic reconnection between the crustal fields and the draped IMF. Additionally, planetary pickup ions also contribute to the twist because their mass loading slows down the plasma flow and leads to the bending of the magnetic field lines in the magnetotail. It is demonstrated that the twist inside Mars’ shadow in the near magnetotail region (at X = −1.5 R M, where R M is Mars’ radius) is mainly attributable to the crustal fields, while the influence of planetary pickup ions starts to dominate outside Mars’ shadow and in regions further away from Mars.

Coriolis forces modify magnetostatic ponderomotive potentials

It is possible to produce a ponderomotive effect in a plasma system without time-varying fields, if the plasma flows over spatial oscillations in the field. This can be achieved by superimposing a spatially oscillatory perturbation on a guide field, then setting up an electric field perpendicular to the guide field to drive flow over the perturbation. However, subtle distinctions in the structure of the resulting electric field can entirely change the behavior of the resulting ponderomotive force. Previous work has shown that, in slab models, these distinctions can be explained in terms of the polarization of the effective wave that appears in the co-moving frame. Here, we consider what happens to this picture in a cylindrical system, where the transformation to the co-moving (rotating) frame is not inertial. It turns out that the non-inertial nature of this frame transformation can lead to counterintuitive behavior, partly due to the appearance of parallel (magnetic-field-aligned) electric fields in the rotating frame even in cases where none existed in the laboratory frame. Apart from the academic interest of this study, the practical impact lies in being better able to anticipate the antenna configuration on the plasma periphery of a cylindrical plasma that will lead to optimal ponderomotive barrier formation in the interior plasma.