High-density fixed point for radially compressed single-component plasmas.
Rotating electric fields are used to compress electron plasmas confined in a Penning-Malmberg trap. Bifurcation and hysteresis are observed between low-density and high-density steady states as a function of the applied electric field amplitude and frequency. These observations are explained in terms of torque-balanced fixed points using a simple model of the torques on the plasma. Perturbation experiments near the high-density fixed point are used to determine the magnitude, frequency, and voltage dependence of the drive torque. The broader implications of these results are discussed.
Danielson
J R
JR
Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
Surko
C M
CM
O'Neil
T M
TM