Multipole Plasma Trap Particle Trajectories and Electrode Design

The Multipole Plasma Trap (MPT) project at the UAA Plasma Lab involves the trapping of quasineutral plasma of various compositions (light ion-heavy ion, ion-electron, pair, antimatter) through the application of external radiofrequency (RF) electric multipole fields (a Paul trap is an example of one such structure). An external magnetic field may be added as well. This study examines the single particle behavior of species of various charge-to-mass ratios in the presence of electric multipole fields of arbitrary order (n = 2 quadrupole, n = 3 octupole, etc.) and in the presence of the axial or azimuthal background magnetic field. Particle trajectories are solved numerically in 2D and 3D, and regions of parameter space (RF frequency and voltage; trap aperture; particle characteristics) are identified for stable trapping depending on multipole order. The results inform further computational study of MPT using 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The RF electrode design for the first MPT apparatus is also discussed, as well as the overall experimental design.