On shifting of plowed plasma to back of current sheath in implosion phase of theta-pinch

In order to study a phenomenon that the plowed plasma had shifted to the back of the current sheath region in the implosion phase of a theta pinch, computer simulations were performed by using MHD equations consisting of electrons, ions and atoms. The simulations clarified the mechanism by which the plasma plowed in front of the current sheath had shifted to the back of the sheath. The phenomenon is caused by a decrease in the electron temperature or a resistivity enhancement due to inelastic collisions, especially excitation collisions, of electrons with atoms. The shifted plasma still implodes with the E॒ ȕ B drift velocity. The charge exchange has little effect on the phenomenon.