Plasma Sheath Formation in a Groove Target.

The Plasma Sheet Source Groove

A test particle study of the ionospheric source of plasma in the EarthÕs plasma sheet has been performed, in an effort to understand an apparent inconsistency between the results of forward and backward (in time) test particle calculations. Most if not all forward calculations of polar wind ion outflows result in energetic plasma sheet ion populations; yet most if not all backward trajectory ca...

Stability of the Plasma-sheath

KdV dynamics in the plasma-sheath transition

A mathematical model is formulated to catch the dynamics hidden in the plasma-sheath transition layer and the inner sheath layer for planar motion of a plasma. It is shown that the rescaled potential in the plasma-sheath transition layer and inner layer is governed by a perturbed KdV equation, through which some of the complex interactions and couplings among physical mechanisms acting in the p...

Experimental levitation of dust grains in a plasma sheath

[1] Dust grains have been observed to levitate above the surface of the Moon and as spokes in Saturn’s rings. In order to gain a better understanding of these observations, we have performed levitation experiments on dust grains in a low-density plasma. Plasma sheath potential profiles, measured by an emissive probe, are used to determine the spatial dependence of the electric force on a grain ...

Ion Acceleration—Target Normal Sheath Acceleration*

Energetic ions have been observed since the very first laser-plasma experiments. Their origin was found to be the charge separation of electrons heated by the laser, which transfers energy to the ions accelerated in the field. The advent of ultra-intense lasers with pulse lengths in the femtosecond regime resulted in the discovery of very energetic ions with characteristics quite different from...