ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN ANISOTROPIC PLASMAS ALONG THE DIRECTION OF A STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD,
Abstract
An experimental and theoretical investigation of the propagation of electromagnetic waves in an anisotropic plasma along the direction of the applied static magnetic field was conducted. Experimental measurements of electron density and attenuation using circularly polarized waves (left-hand or right-hand) show good agreement with theory and with each other over all ranges of parameters. For the right-hand mode at radio frequencies above the electron cyclotron frequency, 'cut-off' occurs at much lower electron densities than in the absence of a magnetic field. For the left-hand wave, both the phase change and attenuation decrease with magnetic field and the wave is affected much less by the plasma than the right-hand wave over the range of parameters encountered in the experiments. The theory of propagation of a linearly polarized wave in a lossy anisotropic plasma was derived. Investigations of the collisional effects on e-m wave propagation in the region of the electron cyclotron frequency show a reversal in phase of the wave passing through the plasma as the electron density is increased. This phenomenon occurs only for the right-hand circularly polarized wave at frequencies very near but just above the electron cyclotron frequency. Collisional effects based on cold plasma theory can account for this behavior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0614442
Entities
People
- B. W. Gibbs
- M. P. Bachynski