MIGMA EARLY-TIME DENSITY PROFILES

Equations describing the evolution of the Migma plasma equilibrium before the onset of diamagnetism are derived. As an illustrative case, the equations are solved for the early-time Migma density and current profiles in an approximately uniform magnetic field. The density is found to vary as r-1/2 near the axis, rather than the r-1 usually assumed. (The improved profiles should prove useful in stability analyses or for initializing computer simulations.) Evolution of the equilibrium near the axis at later times is evaluated as a second illustrative case, showing that the density there eventually does approach an r-1 profile. Suggestions for computing equilibria in more general, possibly diamagnetic, fields also are presented.