Electron heat conduction and suprathermal particles

As recognized at present, the applicability of Spitzer-Harm's theory on electron heat conduction along the magnetic field is limited by comparatively small values of the thermal electron mean free path ratio, λ to the characteristic length of changes in plasma parameters, L: γ=λ/L≤10-2. The stationary kinetic equation for the electron distribution function inhomogeneous along the x-axis fe(v,x) allows one to have solutions in the self-similar variables. The objective of a given study is to generalize the solutions for the case of arbitrary Zeff, that will allow one to compare approximate solutions to the kinetic equation with the precise ones in a wide range of parameters. (author) 8 refs., 2 figs