Summary
The stationary state of a magnetically confined neutral plasma is investigated. For a rare plasma, without particle collisions a method is developed by which a complete set of plasma equations is established. This is based upon the simultaneous solution of Maxwell’s equations and the equations of motion of the particles. As application of this method, generalized forms of the pressure balance equations are derived. An alternative treatment of this relation on the basis of the Boltzmann equation leads to a general expression, valid also for cases when collisions are not negligible. As an example the plasma equations are solved for a problem, for which the usual first order theory breaks down.
Riassunto
Si esamina lo stato stazionario di un plasma neutro contenuto magneticamente. Per un plasma rarefatto senza collisioni di particelle si sviluppa un metodo atto a ricavare un sistema completo di equazioni del plasma. Il metodo è basato sulla soluzione simultanea delle equazioni di Maxwell e delle equazioni del moto delle particelle. Come applicazione del metodo si derivano forme generalizzate delle equazioni dell’equilibrio di pressione. Un trattamento alternativo di questa relazione in base alle equazioni di Boltzmann conduce a un’espressione generale valida anche pei casi in cui le collisioni non sono trascurabili. Come esempio si risolvono le equazioni del plasma di un problema pel quale l’usuale approssimazione del primo ordine cade in difetto.
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Schmidt, G. An investigation on plasmas in external magnetic fields. Nuovo Cim 10, 55–67 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859604
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859604