Debye Length - Typical Values

Typical Values

In space plasmas where the electron density is relatively low, the Debye length may reach macroscopic values, such as in the magnetosphere, solar wind, interstellar medium and intergalactic medium (see table):

Plasma Density
ne(m-3)
Electron temperature
T(K)
Magnetic field
B(T)
Debye length
λD(m)
Solar core 1032 107 -- 10−11
Tokamak 1020 108 10 10−4
Gas discharge 1016 104 -- 10−4
Ionosphere 1012 103 10−5 10−3
Magnetosphere 107 107 10−8 102
Solar wind 106 105 10−9 10
Interstellar medium 105 104 10−10 10
Intergalactic medium 1 106 -- 105
Source: Chapter 19: The Particle Kinetics of Plasma
http://www.pma.caltech.edu/Courses/ph136/yr2004/

Hannes Alfvén pointed out that: "In a low density plasma, localized space charge regions may build up large potential drops over distances of the order of some tens of the Debye lengths. Such regions have been called electric double layers. An electric double layer is the simplest space charge distribution that gives a potential drop in the layer and a vanishing electric field on each side of the layer. In the laboratory, double layers have been studied for half a century, but their importance in cosmic plasmas has not been generally recognized."

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