Asymmetric stable equilibria of non-neutral plasmas

Abstract

A pure electron plasma, confined within an azimuthally symmetric boundary by a coaxial magnetic field, has an equilibrium shape which is cylindrical. We apply perturbations which break the azimuthal symmetry and deform the plasma into a noncircular shape that is stationary in the laboratory frame. These asymmetric equilibria form a broad new class of stable equilibria. A theoretical model correctly predicts the plasma shapes and explains their stability.