The heavy mesons of the charmonium and upsilon family are described in an alternative static potential model chosen in a combination of Hulthen and linear potential. We find that the quark-confining potential in the form of an equal admixture of vector and scalar parts successfully explains the fine-hyperfine structures of$$c\bar c$$ and$$b\bar b$$ systems in a flavour-independent manner. The leptonic decay widths of the vector mesons ofψ and γ families are calculated taking into account the Poggio-Schnitzer correction. We obtain some of the bound states of the yet-to-be observed$$t\bar t$$ system for thet-quark mass ranging from 50 to 200 GeV.

Bounded whistlers are well-known for their efficient plasma production capabilities in thin cylindrical tubes. In this paper we shall present their radio frequency (RF) breakdown and discharge sustaining capabilities in toroidal systems. Pulsed RF power in the electronmagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) frequency regime is fed to the neutral background medium. After the breakdown stage, discharge is sustained by toroidal bounded whistlers. In these pulsed experiments the behaviour of the time evolution of the discharge could be studied in four distinct phases of RF breakdown, steady state attainment, decay and afterglow. In the steady state average electron density of ≈10¹² per cc and average electron temperature of ≈20 eV are obtained at 10⁻³ mbar of argon filling pressure. Experimental results on toroidal mode structure, background effects and time evolution of the electron distribution function will be presented and their implications in understanding the breakdown mechanism are discussed.