Anomalous Resistivity in a Steady-State, Current-Carrying Discharge-Tube Plasma

Abstract
The dc conductivity in a turbulent discharge-tube plasma has been measured as a function of dc electric field over the range 0.06 to 300 V/cm. Below approximately 60 V/cm the conductivity can be interpreted quantitatively in terms of the ion-acoustic wave instability. Above 60 V/cm the conductivity is approximately constant and about an order of magnitude lower than that calculated by Buneman for the two-stream instability.