Reactive equilibrium of magnetoactive plasma

Abstract

A statistical theory of the ionization — recombination equilibrium of a non-degenerate plasma in a homogeneous magnetic field is given. It is shown that the magnetic field changes the reactive composition if the quanta of the oscillatory electron motion in the magnetic field — which corresponds classically to the electron gyration — are of the order of or larger than the thermal energy,ħω≳kT. The ionization may be enhanced or depressed depending on whether the background gas of the plasma is diamagnetic or paramagnetic. Some low temperature experiments, where such an anomalous “magnetic ionization” might be observable, are discussed briefly.