  The radial characteristic of a partially magnetized plasma column created by
a hot cathode filament is presented. It is found that in the absence of
magnetic field, plasma potential and density varies similarly according to
Boltzmann distribution. However as the magnetic field increases, a clear
divergence is seen as plasma density becomes more pronounced in the centre
whereas a corresponding minima is observed in plasma potential; thus limiting
the radial diffusion of positive ions towards the grounded sidewalls. A
phenomenological model based on short-circuiting effect is developed, which
fairly explains this contrasting behaviour.
