Space Charge around Conductors at High Potential Magnetoplasma

摘要

The effect of a magnetic field on the structure of the space charge region around very highly charged bodies in the ionosphere is discussed. The values of current collected by such bodies are deduced for the ionospheric plasma. Results suggest that, for the high body potentials considered ( 1kV) and for the value of the ionospheric magnetic field, the region of deviation from charge neutrality around the charged body is not very different from that in the absence of magnetic field. The potential in such regions is still spherically symmetric to a good approximation. Effects of a magnetic field (and, correspondingly, deviations from spherical symmetry) become important at large distances where, in any case, most of the potential variation has already occurred and where the potential values are small and close to plasma potential.