PERPENDICULAR ION-ACCELERATION BY LOCALIZED HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTRIC-FIELDS IN MAGNETIZED PLASMAS

Citation
Kj. Reitzel et Gj. Morales, PERPENDICULAR ION-ACCELERATION BY LOCALIZED HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTRIC-FIELDS IN MAGNETIZED PLASMAS, Physics of plasmas, 3(9), 1996, pp. 3251-3266
Citations number
47
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Phsycs, Fluid & Plasmas
Journal title
ISSN journal
1070-664X
Volume
3
Issue
9
Year of publication
1996
Pages
3251 - 3266
Database
ISI
SICI code
1070-664X(1996)3:9<3251:PIBLHE>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
A basic process capable of explaining observations of fast perpendicul ar ions in a wide range of plasma environments is described. Spatial s ymmetry breaking perpendicular to the confining magnetic field is show n to cause irreversible energy gain for ions gyrating through an elect ric field having a nonuniform amplitude. The efficiency depends on the ratio of the ion Larmor radius to the scale length of the amplitude g radient, and on the scaled frequency nu=omega/Omega(i). A Landau reson ance is not required, and there is no lower threshold on the electric field, because the mechanism is active in the linear regime. Theory, n umerics, and particle-in-cell simulations are used to illustrate the i nteraction for electrostatic fields in the lower-hybrid range of frequ encies, but the process does not depend on a particular type of mode. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.