Numerical simulation of low pressure plasma filamentation*

In a high magnetic field regime, filamentary structures can develop in low-pressure and low-temperature plasma discharges – particularly in plasmas that are bounded by parallel plate electrodes. These filamentary structures appear as bright columns parallel to the external magnetic field and can be in circular or spiral patterns when viewed from the top. Filametation has been observed and reported by different groups but the phenomenon has not yet been fully investigated theoretically. In this work, a Finite Difference (FD) method is used to numerically solve diffusion and continuity equations of plasma in a self-consistent algorithm to attempt to describe the filamentation process. Perturbations in electron and Ion densities are introduced to the background plasma in presence of high magnetic field to initiate the filamentary structures.  Results from two- and three-dimensional simulations are presented.