ELECTROSTATIC WAVES IN BOUNDED HOT PLASMAS
Abstract
This report deals with the study of electrostatic waves in bounded hot plasmas and, except for a few dc measurements, is theoretical. The study is broadly divided into two parts. The first section investigates waves in a diode system with no dc magnetic field applied. A dc analysis of the equilibrium plasma produced within a thermionic diode is undertaken to provide a basis for the rf analysis, and expected plasma densities in the diode are computed for a variety of practical situations. Electrostatic wave resonances in the diode are predicted by using the hydrodynamic model for the nonuniform plasma. The impedance of a uniform plasma diode is obtained by using a kinetic model of the plasma. This model enables us to take into account the end plate electron absorption loss, a process similar to that which causes end plate diffusion in the Q-machine. The absorption loss is found to have a large effect on the impedance of the diode. The second part of the report deals with the study of guided waves along a cylindrical column of Maxwellian plasma in a magnetic field. A dc study of the plasma column is first conducted. Theoretical density and current profiles are obtained and are compared with the measured results. Since an rf analysis using a self-consistent dc solution is quite involved, the plasma column is approximated by a uniform plasma with a sharp boundary and no drift. To obtain the rf fields in such a column, a plane-wave solution for an infinite Maxwellian plasma in an applied magnetic field is first obtained. By superimposing infinitely many plane waves, the fields within the column are constructed, and by matching the appropriate fields at the boundary, a dispersion relation is derived.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0822784
Entities
People
- Masayuki Omura
Organizations
- Stanford University