Parametric Instabilities of Damped Modes in Inhomogeneous Plasmas.

Abstract

Using WKB analysis it is shown that for three-wave backscattering type parametric instabilities in inhomogeneous plasmas no spatial (convective) growth is possible for undamped modes. If one coupled mode is more heavily damped than the other, then spatial growth is possible in both forward and back-scattering. The spatial amplification factor is that obtained by Rosenbluth only if the pump power is sufficiently above a damping-determined threshold but below a threshold for temporal or absolute instability exists for the backscatter instabilities. For the parametric decay instability at (omega sub 0) = 2(omega sub pe) in a finite spatial region only a temporal instability is found but no spatial (convective) growth. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1973
Accession Number
AD0763737

Entities

People

  • Donald F. Dubois
  • Edward A. Williams

Organizations

  • University of Colorado Boulder

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplification
  • Backscattering
  • Electromagnetic Scattering
  • Forward Scattering
  • Instability
  • Nuclear Reactions
  • Parametric Instability
  • Scattering

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics