On a plasma sheath separating regions of oppositely directed magnetic field

Abstract

An exact solution of the Vlasov equations is found which describes a layer of plasma confined between two regions of oppositely directed magnetic field. The electrons and ions have Maxwellian distributions on the plane where the magnetic field vanishes. In the coordinate system, in which the electron and ion drift velocities are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, the electric field vanishes and the electron and ion densities are everywhere equal. © 1962 Società Italiana di Fisica.