Vortices in relativistic electron beams

Abstract

We demonstrate that a relativistic electron beam is properly described in the moving frame by the electron-magnetohydrodynamic equations of plasma physics. For large beam currents, the accelerator magnetic field is expected to be unstable to the fast magnetic reconnection. We present a plausible saturated state of the fast reconnection, in the form of a complex vortex pattern. The nonlinear dispersion equations of the vortex are derived and the relationship between the vortex structure and the background magnetic field is discussed. © 2000 The American Physical Society.