Charged Particle Interactions with a Static Electromagnetic ``Force Field"

Experimental research associated with producing an electromagnetic field referred to as a ``force field" is reported. A force field is defined at present as a short-range static electromagnetic field that can simultaneously reflect incident charged particles of either sign of charge. The charged particles can originate from a cloud, plasma or beam. A force field consisting of a spatially periodic sequence of magnetic cusps is investigated, where the magnetic cusps are electrostatically plugged using applied electrostatic potential variations similar to those found in nested Penning traps. Such a configuration could in principle be utilized to trap an effectively unmagnetized or minimum-B configuration plasma. The aim of the work reported is to understand the plasma-particle reflection properties of a planar force field created with straight, parallel line cusps. Initial experimental results are presented.