Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Plasma Assignment -2
Subject 6.651J/8.613J/22.611J R. Parker
19 September 2006 Due: 26 September 2006
Problem Set 2
Problem 1.
The figure shows field lines in a cylindrically symmetric magnetic mirror plasma confinement device.
r
The field is given by
G z2 rz
B = B0 (1 + 2 ) zˆ − B0 2 rˆ
A A
a) A particle orbits in the mirror with its guiding center moving along the z-axis. At z=0, it has total
energy W0 = W⊥0 + W// 0 where the subscripts ⊥ and // refer to perpendicular and parallel to the field.
Calculate z (t ) , the motion of the guiding center.
b) Calculate the grad B and curvature components of the drift velocity of the particle when its guiding
center is located at
z = 0, r = A / 2
c) Find an equation for z t , the turning point of a particle with a guiding center that passes through the
point z = 0, r = A / 2 with energy W0 = W⊥0 + W// 0 . Do not solve the equation. (Hint: this will require
calculation of the equation of the field lines.)
Problem 2.
The earth’s dipole magnetic field is given by
G R3
(
B = 3 x10 −5 3e − 2 sin θ rˆ + cos θ θˆ
r
)
where Re is the radius of the earth, approximately 6400 km. Here θ is the latitude and r is the distance
from the earth’s center. The actual field in the vicinity of the earth is more complicated due to
interaction with the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind, but this complication will be ignored
for the purpose of this problem.
dr B
i) The magnetic field lines are found by solving the differential equation = r . Carry out the
rdθ Bθ
solution to this ODE to find the equation of the field lines in the form r = r (θ ).
ii) Let Be be the value of B on the equator (θ = 0) at some r. Determine B in terms of Be and θ,
G
where B is the magnitude of B that one would measure as one followed a field line from the
equator.
iii) A particle is injected into the earth’s field at some radius R0 at the equator. The particle has
2 1
energy W0, with W⊥ = W0 and W|| = W0 . Calculate the latitude θ ref at which the particle is
3 3
reflected. Assume θ ref is small enough that small argument expansions to lowest non-zero order in
θ can be used for all trigonometric terms.
iv) Using the particle’s drift velocity at the equator as characteristic of the particle’s drift velocity
as it undergoes oscillation in latitude, estimate the time required for the particle to circle the earth.
Evaluate numerically for a proton with W0 = 1 Mev injected at r =2Re. Is rL small enough for our
derivation of the ∇B and curvature drifts to be valid?
Problem 3. z
The figure illustrates a sheared magnetic field given by
⎧ B0 zˆ y < − a ⎫
G ⎪⎪ y ⎪
⎪
B = ⎨ B0 zˆ − a < y < a ⎬ ,
⎪ a ⎪
⎪⎩− B0 zˆ y > a ⎪⎭
where ±a defines the sheared region and B0 is the constant field amplitude outside the sheared region.
Such field configurations occur both in laboratory as well as in terrestrial and astrophysical plasmas.
i) Consider first a particle whose guiding center is located at x = 0, y = a/2 at t = 0. Describe its
motion assuming rL << a. What constraint does this condition imply for the particle’s W⊥ ?
ii) Consider now a particle whose position is located at x = 0, y = 0 with velocity vy = V, vx = 0,
all at t=0. Derive the differential equations describing its motion.
iii) By solving these equations, determine the maximum extent of the particle’s orbit in the y-
direction. Assume that the parameters are such that the particle does not reach the region of
uniform field. What condition assures that this will be a valid assumption?
