Density and potential wake past an insulating obstacle in a partially magnetized flowing plasma

Abstract: The radial characteristics of plasma potential and density around an insulating disc obstacle, placed inside a partially magnetized plasma flow created in cylindrical chamber by hot cathode filament are presented. In the absence of obstacle, centrally sharp minima in potential and maxima in plasma density is observed; however when a macroscopic obstacle is introduced in plasma flow, a clear radially off-centred minima in plasma potential is observed having plasma density peaking near the edge of the obstacle. The depth of potential around the obstacle depends on the axial magnetic field strength. This off-centred radial potential profile in the plasma flow gives rise to focusing of ions around the obstacle edge. Experimentally it is found that the drift velocity of focused positive ions is directly depended on the magnetic field strength and axial positive ion flow velocity. A phenomenological model based on short-circuiting effect is applied to explain the plasma density and potential in the wake region.