Thermodynamic equilibrium of pure electron plasmas in a Malmberg-Penning trap

A new class of annular confinement configurations of a single-charged plasm a corresponding to global thermodynamic equilibria in a cylindrical Malmber g-Penning trap with an axial conductor is investigated both numerically and analytically. In the case of an infinite plasma length, the density turns out to be essentially constant inside a surface of revolution and to fall o ff abruptly outside of it. Analytical limiting cases are calculated explici tly in the limit of small Debye lengths. In the case of a finite plasma len gth, the self-consistent solution to Poisson's equation describing thermody namic equilibrium is obtained numerically and the dependence of the plasma density distribution on the various parameters of the system is investigate d. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".