A Kinetic Model for Pure Electron Plasma Compression via the Rotating Wall Technique

We present a model for pure electron plasma compression in which a rotating wall (RW) electric field couples to the ExB rotation and axial motion of the electrons. The model assumes that the plasma is in a slowly evolving thermal equilibrium. Kinetic theory is employed to find an expression for the coupling of the rotating wall field to resonant plasma particles, and averaging allows for the derviation of equations for the angular momentum and temperature of the plasma. Numerical solutions of the model are consistent with previous experimental results [Danielson and Surko, Phys. Plasmas 13 (2006)]. The model predicts, depending on system parameters and initial conditions, three compression regimes: rapid compression, exponentially long wait time to compression, and no compression. We outline a method that, within the approximations of the model, enables compression to high densities. The scheme envisions a sequence of jumps to ever higher rotating wall frequencies, with the jumps occuring just as the plasma ExB rotation frequency approaches the rotating wall frequency. The numerical method for solving the equations, which is based on solving for the phase portraits of the flow, will be presented.