Spontaneous Formation of a Plasma Hole in a Rotating Magnetized Plasma:<? format?> A Giant Burgers Vortex in a Compressible Fluid
Physical review letters, 2002•APS
Spontaneous formation of a cylindrical density cavity, or” plasma hole,” has been observed
in a rotating magnetized plasma. Density of the plasma hole is one-tenth of that of ambient
plasma and is bounded by a steep transition layer of the order of several ion Larmor radii.
The flow velocity field associated with the plasma hole is experimentally determined,
exhibiting a monopole vortical structure. It is found that the vorticity distribution is localized
near the center of the hole and is identified as a Burgers vortex. This is the first experimental …
in a rotating magnetized plasma. Density of the plasma hole is one-tenth of that of ambient
plasma and is bounded by a steep transition layer of the order of several ion Larmor radii.
The flow velocity field associated with the plasma hole is experimentally determined,
exhibiting a monopole vortical structure. It is found that the vorticity distribution is localized
near the center of the hole and is identified as a Burgers vortex. This is the first experimental …
Spontaneous formation of a cylindrical density cavity, or ”plasma hole,” has been observed in a rotating magnetized plasma. Density of the plasma hole is one-tenth of that of ambient plasma and is bounded by a steep transition layer of the order of several ion Larmor radii. The flow velocity field associated with the plasma hole is experimentally determined, exhibiting a monopole vortical structure. It is found that the vorticity distribution is localized near the center of the hole and is identified as a Burgers vortex. This is the first experimental observation of a Burgers vortex in a plasma.
American Physical Society