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Experiments on anomalous electron currents to a positive probe in a magnetized plasma stream
Author(s) -
Gunell H.,
Larsson M.,
Brenning N.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl010694
Subject(s) - electron , plasma , current (fluid) , physics , atomic physics , magnetic field , computational physics , geophysics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
The first laboratory experiments are reported of anomalously high currents drawn by an electron collecting probe in a magnetized plasma stream. The currents exceed the theoretical values by Parker and Murphy [ Parker and Murphy, 1967] by more than a factor of three. Measurements of the potential pattern around the probe indicate that the enhanced currents are possible because electrons E × B ‐drift into a local field‐aligned current channel.