Temperature anisotropy governed electrical conductivity tensor in a steady state dipole plasma: Spatially resolved experiments and modeling

A generalization of electrical conductivity in a plasma confined in a dipole magnetic field, in the presence of temperature anisotropy is presented. The anisotropy governed by the magnetic field distribution is found to be significant in the strong field region, and has a considerable effect on Pedersen and longitudinal conductivity of electrons over Hall conductivity, whereas the effect of temperature anisotropy on Hall conductivity can be observed in the case of ions. The work reveals new features in the conductivity tensor arising due to the temperature anisotropy and bidirectional nature of the dipole field, by incorporating all possible particle drifts, which would be helpful to enhance the understanding of electrical conduction in both laboratory and space dipole plasmas. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.

Automated summary

This study presents a generalization of electrical conductivity in a plasma confined in a dipole magnetic field with temperature anisotropy. The anisotropy influenced by the magnetic field distribution is found to be significant in the strong field region, affecting the Pedersen and longitudinal conductivity of electrons more than the Hall conductivity, while the effect of temperature anisotropy on Hall conductivity can be observed in ions. The research reveals new features in the conductivity tensor due to temperature anisotropy and the bidirectional nature of the dipole field, which contributes to a better understanding of electrical conduction in both laboratory and space dipole plasmas.