Simulations of the instability of the m=1 self-shielding diocotron mode in finite-length nonneutral plasmas

The “self-shielding” m=1 diocotron mode in Malmberg-Penning traps has been known for over a decade to be unstable for finite length nonneutral plasmas with hollow density profiles. Early theoretical efforts were unsuccessful in accounting for the exponential growth and/or the magnitude of the growth rate. Recent theoretical work has sought to resolve the discrepancy either as a consequence of the shape of the plasma ends or as a kinetic effect resulting from a modified distribution function as a consequence of the protocol used to form the hollow profiles in experiments. We have investigated both of these finite length mechanisms in selected test cases using a three-dimensional particle-in-cell code that allows realistic treatment of shape and kinetic effects. We find that a persistent discrepancy of a factor of 2–3 remains between simulation and experimental values of the growth rate.