Investigation of Vortex Structures in Gas-Discharge Nonneutral Electron Plasma: II. Vortex Formation, Evolution and Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper experimentally investigates the formation, evolution, and dynamics of vortex structures in gas-discharge nonneutral electron plasma, revealing their stability and behavior across different device geometries.

Contribution

It provides new experimental insights into vortex formation and dynamics in nonneutral plasma using nonperturbing methods, expanding understanding of plasma inhomogeneities.

Findings

Vortex structures are dense, solitary, and elongated along magnetic fields.

Vortex lifetime exceeds electron-neutral collision times.

Processes of vortex formation and evolution are periodic and geometry-dependent.

Abstract

The results of experimental investigations of inhomogeneities of gas-discharge nonneutral electron plasma obtained by using the nonperturbing experimental methods [N.A. Kervalishvili, arXiv:1502.02516 [physics.plasm-ph] (2015)] have been presented. Inhomogeneities are the dense solitary vortex structures stretched along the magnetic field, the lifetime of which is much greater than the time of electron-neutral collisions. The processes of formation, evolution and dynamics of vortex structures were studied. The periodic sequence of these processes is described for different geometries of discharge device.