Dynamics of positive probes in underdense, strongly magnetized, E×B drifting plasma: Particle-in-cell simulations

Electron trapping, electron heating, space-charge wings, wake eddies, and current collection by a positive probe in E×B drifting plasma were studied in three-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations. In these simulations, electrons and ions were magnetized with respect to the probe and the plasma was underdense (ωpe<ωce). A large drift velocity (Mach 4.5 with respect to the ion acoustic speed) between the plasma and probe was created with background electric and magnetic fields. Four distinct regions developed in the presences of the positive probe: a quasi-trapped electron region, an electron-depletion wing, an ion-rich wing, and a wake region. We report on the observations of strong electron heating mechanisms, space-charge wings, ion cyclotron charge-density eddies in the wake, electron acceleration due to a magnetic presheath, and the current-voltage relationship