UHF-PLASMA INTERACTION--THE TWO-STREAM INSTABILITY OF A current-CARRYING PLASMA,
Abstract
The 'collective' space charge interaction between the electron and ion streams of a current-carrying plasma results in the enhancement of electrostatic oscillations carried by the two streams. When the relative drift velocity between the electrons and ions exceeds a critical value of the order of the electron thermal velocity, some oscillations begin to grow exponentially in amplitude and the 'to-stream instability of a current-carrying plasma' ensues. This study comprises a thorough experimental investigation of the onset properties of this instability and an examination of its nonlinear properties. The experimental apparatus consists of a UHF TM010 cavity loaded along its axis with a plasma column produced by a pulsed P.I.G. reflex discharge. The electric field of the cavity serves to excite a UHF current along the plasma column which in turn can produce the two-stream instability during every half-cycle. The time scale for electrostatic interaction is much shorter than the UHF half-period. Considerable attention was given to the design of this appratus so that it would be amenable to the Stringer formulation of the linearized two-stream theory and thus would permit a meaningful comparison between the experimental and theoretical instability onset conditions. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0697363
Entities
People
- J. Hosea
Organizations
- Stanford University