THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF MICROWAVE SCATTERING FROM A CYLINDRICAL PLASMA.

Abstract

This investigation was concerned with the theoretical and experimental study of a modest temperature plasma obtained by seeding with low ionization potential elements. A detailed thermochemical analysis of nitrogen or air as the carrier gases and sodium, potassium, or cessium as the seeding elements was made. The results are presented for a range of seeding ratios and temperatures up to 4000 K. The experimental facility consisted of an RF plasma generator which produced a low velocity cylindrical plasma at 1 atmosphere pressure and a temperature of 2750 K. Seeding was accomplished by using an atomizer and aqueous solutions of the nitrates of the seeding elements. The phase and amplitude of 3 cm microwaves scattered from the finite length, cyoindrical, thermal plasma were measured by a microwave interferometer. These measurements were compared to the theoretical predicted values as obtained from an IBM 7090 computer program. A comprehensive discussion of the possible sources of error is included but consistent unexplained differences between experiment and theory remain. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0419803

Entities

People

  • B. P. Selberg
  • D. W. Cheatham Jr.
  • J. A. Nicholls
  • S. W. Bowen

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Aqueous Solutions
  • Atmospheres
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Elements
  • Generators
  • Interferometers
  • Ionization
  • Ionization Potentials
  • Measurement
  • Microwaves
  • Nitrogen
  • Plasma Generators
  • Scattering

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Surface Engineering/Surface Coating Technology.