Electrostatic plasma turbulence Part 1. Turbulent plasma diffusion across a magnetic field

Abstract

The turbulent diffusion of plasma across a magnetic field is studied theoretically using a three-dimensional model which includes the full dynamics of the diffusing particles and which is valid for arbitrary magnetic field strengths. The theory is confined to perpendicular turbulence, i.e. where the build-up of the fluctuations lies primarily in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field (although it is more generally applicable). A single expression for the diffusion is derived in terms of the fluctuation spectrum, particle energy, the dispersion characteristics of the excited modes and the magnetic field. Earlier results for equilibrium plasmas are confirmed. We demonstrate the continuous transition from anomalous (1/B) diffusion in regimes of low fluctuation levels (or strong magnetic fields) to classical (1/B2) diffusion in regimes where the fluctuation level destroys the coherence sustained by the magnetic field. In this latter regime, the particles behave as if unmagnetized except for a turbulent drift which appears in the presence of anisotropic spectra.