Self-consistent electron and ion motion in a high-current plasma channel

The problem of self-consistent motion of charged particles in a high-curren t plasma channel is solved using the kinetic model of a plasma with electro n and ion beams whose motion is governed by the resulting electromagnetic f ield. It is shown that, in a high-density plasma, the ion motion makes the contribution of electrons to the current in the channel negative, in which case the ion current is higher than the net current and the plasma moves at a high speed as an electrically neutral axial stream whose direction coinc ides with the direction of the current in the channel. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka /Interperiodica".