Simulation of adiabatic thermal beams in a periodic solenoidal magnetic focusing field

Abstract

Self-consistent particle-in-cell simulations are performed to verify earlier theoretical predictions of adiabatic thermal beams in a periodic solenoidal magnetic focusing field [ K. R. Samokhvalova, J. Zhou and C. Chen Phys. Plasmas 14 103102 (2007); J. Zhou, K. R. Samokhvalova and C. Chen Phys. Plasmas 15 023102 (2008)]. In particular, results are obtained for adiabatic thermal beams that do not rotate in the Larmor frame. For such beams, the theoretical predictions of the rms beam envelope, the conservations of the rms thermal emittances, the adiabatic equation of state, and the Debye length are verified in the simulations. Furthermore, the adiabatic thermal beam is found be stable in the parameter regime where the simulations are performed.