Vortex structures generated by the electrostatic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

A laboratory experiment was carried out in order to study the nonlinear saturated stage of the cross-field electrostatic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a strongly magnetized plasma. The formation and propagation of relatively long-lived vortex-like structures in a background of wide-band turbulent fluctuations is demonstrated by a conditional sampling technique. The formation, propagation and initial decay of monopole type vortices was observed. The experimental conditions allow comparison with ionospheric observations of magnetic field aligned, flute-type disturbances.