Preliminary Simulations Applied to Asymmetry Induced Transport in a Non-Neutral Plasma.

Abstract

In theory, applying an electric field perpendicular and a magnetic field parallel (or anti-parallel) to a particle's trajectory should confine the particles into an E X B circular motion. However, experiments have shown that particles in a non-neutral plasma trap escape this E X B confinement. Furthermore, plasma theory predicts a rate of transport 40 times greater than what experiment shows. One possible way to study this discrepancy is to use computer simulations applied to the equations of motion of the plasma theory. We use preliminary simulations applied to various systems with known analytical solutions, and determine the simulation's ability to numerically calculate solutions to within the desired margin of error.