Like-particle collisional interactions in an inhomogeneous plasma

A like-particle collision operator is derived for an inhomogeneous plasma with a periodic equilibrium potential which traps part of the particle population. The derivation is made in the guiding centre approximation (one-dimensional orbits along a strong magnetic field), and only resonant interactions are considered. The effect of the particle bouncing replaces that of the three-dimensional orbits in this limit. For resonances between different harmonics of the bounce motion the operator does not vanish as happens in the classical one-dimensional case. A discussion of the general equations describing this effect is presented together with some estimates.