Low Frequency Waves with Azimuthal Currents in a Weakly Magnetized Positive Column

Low frequency waves excited in a positive column at pressures p >0.1 Torr in a longitudinal magnetic field B is theoretically analyzed. The field B is strong but less than the critical field B c for the helical instability. These excited waves belong to the ionization wave which is affected by the field B , and oscillation currents in the azimuthal and axial directions in the positive column synchronously coexist in those waves. The effect of those currents is to add a new term proportional to the wavenumber to the frequency of the ionization wave in the field B .