L'équilibre Vlasov dans la machine KEMP II avec limites réalistes d'énergie et de moment des particules du plasma

Abstract

Plasma equilibria have been calculated numerically for the electromagnetic trap, KEMP II, from the Vlasov and Poisson equations. A plausible form for the electron and deuterium ion velocity distribution functions has been assumed. Compared with the previous work of Brunel Lafrance, Burkhardt, and Gregory, the present work provides a more realistic treatment of the limits of integration in the expressions for the moments of the distribution functions in order to allow for energy and momentum values permitting the charged particles to escape the machine or encounter a material electrode. The parameters in the theory have been varied around reasonable estimates provided by experiments so that their influence on the equilibria could be studied. The densities predicted by our calculations are one to two orders of magnitude smaller than experimental estimates. We postulate that this difference is explained by the fact that our theory does not take into account electrons reflected by the classical mirror effect in the cusp regions of the KEMP II machine, thus preventing them from shielding the anode potential.