Strong laboratory double layers in the presence of a magnetic field

Using a triple plasma device, strong double layers (Δ 20 T_e/e) have been produced in an axial magnetic field of 50 G. Numerical results indicate that suppression of plasma generation in the region of a double layer is necessary for its existence.     

Negative plasma potential in unmagnetized DC electropositive plasma with conducting walls

Negative plasma potentials were obtained in DC hot filament unmagnetized electropositive argon plasma for sufficiently low neutral pressure. Double layers provide ion and electron confinement near the walls. The potential profiles from the center of the plasma to the potential minima are quite similar in shape to those observed when the plasma has positive plasma potentials. The primary electrons emitted from the filaments are important for charge conservation and for modification of the Bohm criteria but are not important for current balance.     

Linear transformations that preserve certain positivity classes of matrices

For each of several S ? R^n,n, those linear transformations $\text{L}\text{: R}{}^{\mathrm{n,n}}\text{→ R}{}^{\mathrm{n,n}}$ which map S onto S are characterized. Each class is a familiar one which generalizes the notion of positivity to matrices. The classes include: the matrices with nonnegative principal minors, the M-matrices, the totally nonnegative matrices, the D-stable matrices, the matrices with positive diagonal Lyapunov solutions, and the H-matrices, as well as other related classes. The set of transformations is somewhat different from case to case, but the strategy of proof, while differing in detail, is similar.     

On Lyapunov scaling factors of real symmetric matrices

A necessary and sufficient condition for the identity matrix to be the unique Lyapunov scaling factor of a given real symmetric matrix A is given. This uniqueness is shown to be equivalent to the uniqueness of the identity matrix as a scaling D for which the kernels of A and AD are identical.     

Ranks of zero patterns and sign patterns

Let F be a field with at least three elements. Zero patterns P such that all matrices over F with pattern P have the same rank are characterized. Similar results are proven for sign patterns. These results are applied to answering two open questions on conditions for formal nonsingularity of a pattern P, as well as to proving a sufficient condition on P such that all matrices over F with pattern P have the same height characteristic.     

Mass Scaling of Permanent Magnet Line Cusp Plasma Leaks

Plasma leaks to permanent magnetic produced "full line cusps" are shown to depend on ion mass as (mj?). This result is consistent with hybrid gyroradius (i.e., geometric mean of ion and electron gyroradii) leaks but not with ion gyroradius leaks.     

Ion acoustic waves excited by boundary sheaths

Low frequency signals applied to a grid immersed in a plasma excite ion acoustic waves at the plasma boundaries simulataneous with those excited at the grid. A mechanism is suggested which involves the “direct coupled signal”.     

Experimental observations of the dimensionless scaling of planar and cylindrical ion acoustic solitons

An experimental comparison of planar and cylindrical ion acoustic solitons is made through the use of dimensionless scaling parameters. The Korteweg de Vries equation is found to be insufficient to completely explain the observed data.