Re: magnetic lines like these?

[Chuck Britton <britton@odie.ncssm.edu>]

At 12:09 PM -0400 5/10/98, LUDWIK KOWALSKI wrote:
> Here is what is written about this in an Astronomy
> textbook (Zeilik, 8th edition, page 160). I wish I could explain this
> to myself. Please help, if you can.
>
> ...................................................................
> "As a plasma moves through a magnetic field, the charged particles are
> trapped in spiral paths along the magnetic field lines. [OK so far.]
> The plasma becomes bound to the magnetic field. At the same time the
> plasma captures the magnetic field and holds it within the plasma. Once
> an organized flow of charged particles has been set up, it generates its
> own magnetic field (as does an electromagnet). This field from the moving
> particles maintains the magnetic field that first caused the current flow.
> So the original field is reinforced. Then if a plasma moves in bulk, it
> carries the magnetic field lines with it."
> .......................................................................

The picture I'm visualizing here is a bundle of magnetic flux lines that
have closed into a nearly circular loop. The electric charges are spiraling
around this loop, sort of around the surface of a doughnut. The magnetic
loop wraps around the hole of the doughnut and the current is always
flowing through the hole in the same direction and wrapping back along the
outer edge of the doughnut.

I suppose that the charge is always either + or always - in a given
doughnut or the counter moving opposite charges would interfere with each
other???

Does this make any sense???

  -.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-.     .-
    \   /   \   /   \ N /   \ C /   \ S /   \ S /   \ M /   \   /   \   /
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Chuck Britton  					Education is what is left when
britton@odie.ncssm.edu  			you have forgotten everything
North Carolina School of Science & Math		you learned in school.
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