A STUDY OF NONLINEAR PHENOMENA IN THE PROPAGATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN A WEAKLY IONIZED GAS.
Abstract
This paper is a study of nonlinear phenomena in the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a weakly ionized gas externally biased with a magneto-static field. The present study is restricted to the nonlinear phenomena arising from the interaction of electromagnetic waves in the ionized gas. The important effects of nonlinearity are wave-form distortion and generation of mixed frequencies. The wave-form distortion leads to cross-modulation of one wave by a second amplitude-modulated wave. The nonlinear effects are assumed to be small so that a perturbation method can be used. Boltzmann's kinetic equation with an appropriate expression for the collision term is solved by expanding the electron distribution function into spherical harmonics in velocity space. In turn, the electron convection current density and the conductivity tensors of the nonlinear ionized gas are found from the distribution function. Finally, the expression for the current density and Maxwell's equations are employed to investigate the effects of nonlinearity on the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the ionized gas, and also on the reflection of waves from an ionized gas semi-infinite extent. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0475868
Entities
People
- Tsiu C. Chan
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology