Confinement of charged particles and non-neutral plasma in a magnetic mirror

• Published in: The European physical journal. D, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 76; no. 9
• Main Authors: Wang, Zai-Xin, Gou, Xue-Qiang, Wang, Fang-Ping, Zhang, Heng, Zhang, Sheng, Duan, Wen-Shan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applications of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos Theory; Atomic; Charged particles; Density; Ion beams; Magnetic mirrors; Magnetism; Molecular; Optical and Plasma Physics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Plasma; Quantum Information Technology; Quantum Physics; Regular Article - Plasma Physics; Spectroscopy/Spectrometry; Spintronics; Magnetic confinement; Loss rate; Ion beam
• ISSN: 1434-6060; 1434-6079
• DOI: 10.1140/epjd/s10053-022-00500-9

The loss rate of ion beams and the non-neutral plasma in an axisymmetric magnetic mirror is investigated in the present paper. It is found that the loss rate increases as the mass of the ions increases for a ion beam confined in a magnetic mirror. Moreover, both the electron loss rate and the ion loss rate are obtained when a non-neutral plasma is confined in a magnetic mirror. It seems that both loss rate remain unchanged in the regime when the electron number density is less than that of the ions. In the other regime that the electron number density is much larger than that of the ion number, the ion loss rate increases with the increase of electron number density, while the electron loss rate decreases as the electron number density increases. This result may help us to devise a mirror to separate the different charged particles by confining these different particles in a magnetic mirror. Graphical Abstract The electron loss rate and the ion loss rate are obtained when a non-neutral plasma is confined in a magnetic mirror. It seems that both loss rate remain unchanged in the regime when the electron number density is less than that of the ions. In the other regime that the electron number density is much larger than that of the ion number, the ion loss rate increases with the increase of electron number density, while the electron loss rate decreases as the electron number density increases..