AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE HYDROMAGNETIC WAVEGUIDE,
Abstract
The hydromagnetic waveguide consists of a cylindrical metal tube filled with a longitudinally magnetized plasma. Among the classes of waves which propagate in this system are the compressional hydromagnetic modes, characterized by a waveguide cutoff at low frequencies and by a resonance at the electron cyclotron frequency. This paper presents the results of observations of the propagation of such waves in a decaying hydrogen plasma at frequencies from 0.8 to 3.4 times the ion cyclotron frequency. The phase shift and attenuation of the waves are interpreted in terms of the ion density and the temperature by applying a theory based on a three-fluid description of the plasma. Spectroscopic measurements of the H sub beta line profile and absolute intensity are used to check the density and temperature inferred from the wave measurements. The results of this study indicate that a simple approximate relationship between the phase factor and density obtained by neglecting dissipation gives densities which agree well with the spectroscopic measurements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0615630
Entities
People
- Robert Henry Hertel
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology