Density and potential profiles of non-neutral electron plasmas in a magnetic mirror field.

ABSTRACT

Low-energy non-neutral electron plasmas were confined with an electrostatic potential and a magnetic mirror field of the mirror ratio up to 5. Using a conventional phosphor screen and the unique multiring trap, both radial and axial density profiles of plasmas were measured. With the present experimental parameters, it was confirmed that a plasma density increased at higher field with an electrostatic confinement and that it decreased at higher field with a magnetic mirror confinement. The electrostatic potentials along the magnetic field were estimated with computer simulations.