Field-Aligned Plasma-Potential Structure Formed by Local Electron Cyclotron Resonance

摘要

The significance of basic experiments on field-aligned plasma-potential structure formed by local electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) is claimed based on the historical development of the investigation on electric double layer and electrostatic potential confinement of open-ended fusion-oriented plasmas. In the presence of a single ECR point in simple mirror-type configurations of magnetic field, a potential dip (thermal barrier) appears around this point, being followed by a subsequent potential hump (plug potential) along a collisionless plasma flow. The observed phenomenon gives a clear-cut physics to the formation of field-aligned plug potential with thermal barrier, which is closely related to the double layer formation triggered by a negative dip.