On the evolution and enhanced relaxation of a homogeneous isotropic two-dimensional plasma in a uniform magnetic field

Abstract

An enhancement of evolution rates in two-dimensional plasma models by a large factor containing the square root of the coupling parameter is known to occur. It is shown here to persist even when all collective effects are removed from weak-coupling calculations, under a simplified boundary condition preserving the isotropy of the system. Long-range vorticity is shown to develop. A careful treatment of time integrals allows irreversibility to be discussed with fewer ambiguities than usual with respect to limit ordering. Applications to three- dimensional laboratory plasmas are tentatively suggested. Future computer simulations should determine the usefulness of the comparatively simple relationships found among moments of the pair correlation. The new effects are shown to be qualitatively similar to some found in other approaches to plasma interactions in uniform magnetic fields.