Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2026

An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Setup to Investigate the Reactive Species Formation
Published on: November 3, 2016
Destabilization of the m = 1 diocotron mode in non-neutral plasmas
Finn1, del-Castillo-Negrete, Barnes
1Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Abstract:
The theory for a Penning-Malmberg trap predicts m = 1 diocotron stability. However, experiments with hollow profiles show robust exponential growth. We propose a new mechanism of destabilization of this mode, involving parallel compression due to end curvature. The results are in good agreement with the experiments. The resulting modified drift-Poisson equations are analogous to the geophysical shallow water equations, and conservation of line integrated density corresponds to that of potential vorticity. This analogy predicts Rossby waves in non-neutral plasmas and an m = 1 instability in fluids.
Related Concept Videos
Destabilization of Microtubules
Microtubule Instability
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Magnetic Moment
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
Magnetic Damping
If, however, the bob is a slotted metal plate, the magnet produces a much smaller effect. When a slotted metal plate enters the field, an emf is induced by the change in flux; however, it is less effective because the slots limit the...
Multimachine Stability
In analyzing the system, the nodal equations represent the relationship between bus voltages, machine voltages, and machine currents. The nodal equation is given by:

