A STUDY OF PLASMA TURBULENCE.
Abstract
This report summarizes results of a three-year program of experimental and theoretical research to investigate turbulence in collisionless plasmas. The quasi-linear theory of plasma turbulence is extended to include the effect of resonant and nonresonant mode-coupling terms. The theory, originally done in the time domain, is applied to the case of spatially growing waves. The generation of electromagnetic radiation at twice the plasma frequency and microwave scattering from plasma turbulence are investigated theoretically. The kinetic theory of unstable plasmas is systematically developed. A measurement of the Landau damping of electrostatic plasma waves is described. The results agree in detail with the predictions of the theory. The growth of unstable plasma waves due to a gentle bump on the velocity distribution function is measured. The termination of the growth, due to nonlinear effects, (i.e., the diffusion of particles in the velocity distribution function by the electric fields of the wave) is observed. These results are also in quantitative agreement with the theory. This report contains the full text of eighteen scientific papers resulting from this research program. In these papers the above results and other related research are described in detail. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0633974
Entities
People
- J. H. Malmberg
- W. E. Drummond
Organizations
- General Dynamics