Flow of Plasma Around a Magnetic Dipole

Image converter photographs of plasma flow over a magnetic dipole field exhibit general boundary shapes which are in accord with the theoretical shapes computed on the basis of specular reflection of the ions at the boundary of the magnetic cavity. Magnetic probe measurements show that the magnetic field is highly turbulent in the magnetic boundary and correlation measurements show that this turbulence is not a breathing of the boundary as a whole, but a corniness in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field and the initial plasma flow. Electricfield probe and ion density probe measurements also show that plasma is turbulent in the boundary of the magnetic cavity, and that the plasma penetrates the cavity in a turbulent state. The character of the signals suggests that the turbulence is in the form of plasma eddies or vortices. (Author)