Cross-field Electron Heat Transport due to High Frequency Electrostatic Waves

Abstract

Cross-field electron heat diffusion due to thermally excited high frequency electrostatic waves propagating almost perpendicular to the magnetic field is studied using a 2–1 /2-dimensional simulation code. It is shown that the electron heat diffusion coefficient D H is an order of magnitude greater than the electron particle diffusion coefficient D p , which is essentially collisional. The characteristic feature of wave transport is observed, namely an increase of D H with increasing values of the characteristic temperature scale length L x . The heat diffusion coefficients D // H and D ⊥ H for the parallel and perpendicular temperatures ( D H ≃ D // H + D ⊥ H ) show quite different magnetic field scalings since D // H is due to ion modes while D ⊥ H arises from electron modes. This is also confirmed by treating the ions as an immobile background.