Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Radial Bernstein Modes In A Finite-Length Axisymmetric Non-Neutral Plasma, Mark Andrew Hutchison

Theses and Dissertations

Axisymmetric radial Bernstein modes are known to exist in non-neutral plasmas and have been studied theoretically and computationally in 1D, but detection of these modes has still proven to be difficult due to self-shielding. To help advance the work on this front we created a 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) code that simulates a non-neutral plasma in a Malmberg-Penning trap. A detailed description of the PIC code itself has been included that highlights the benefits of using an $r^2$--$z$ grid and how it can be tested. The focus of the PIC simulation was to discover how best to drive and detect these …