Diffusion of Charged Particles across a Magnetic Field Due to Neutral Particles

Abstract

A calculation of the diffusion of charged particles across a magnetic field arising from the presence of neutral particles is compared with the diffusion arising from charged particles. The ratio of the flux of charged particles, arising from the presence of neutral particles, and the flux arising from charged particles is found to be of the order 10² to 10⁵. The actual value of the ratio depends on the types of particles, the temperature, the number densities, and the density gradients.