Kinetic model of electrons in drift-Alfven current-vortices

Current-vortex filaments in magnetized plasmas are investigated analytically using a kinetic model for the electron motion parallel to the magnetic field. This Hamiltonian system can be considered as the minimal kinetic extension of the three-field drift-Alfven model for collisionless plasmas. Stationary current-vortex solutions are presented. They are shown to maintain their coherence in the presence of slowly changing background electro-magnetic fields due to the adiabatic response of electrons confined inside the structure. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.