Abstract

MARTINELL, J. J.. Particle motion near the resonant surface of a high-frequency wave in a magnetized plasma. Rev. mex. fis. [online]. 2002, vol.48, n.3, pp.239-249. ISSN 0035-001X.

The motion of single charged particles in a magnetized plasma is studied using a Lagrangian formalism, applied to the average over a gyro-period, in the presence of an electromagnetic wave that is being resonantly absorbed by the medium. Near the resonance surface the wave amplitude has a gradient and the resulting particle drifts are shown to be consistent with the existence of a ponderomotive force, produced by the wave-field-gradient. The orbits are also obtained numerically to show how the drifting motion arises, and to study the case of high field-gradients, which is not described with the formal analysis.

Keywords : Charged particle orbits; electromagnetic waves in plasmas; lagrangian mechanics.

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