Rotation of a magnetized plasma

Abstract

The plasma rotation in the axial magnetic field of the linear machine Mistral [A. Escarguel, Eur. Phys. J. D 56, 209 (2010)] is well described by the assumption that the electrons injected from the source exit radially from the central column and are subject to the Lorentz force. Electrons and ions rotate together by ambipolarity. The solution of the momentum equations foresees correctly the observed radial dependence of the ionic radial velocity measured by laser induced fluorescence. The resolution of these equations is also in good agreement with the measured dependence of the rotation frequency on the applied magnetic field and on the background pressure.