Efficient Energy Storage and Conversion Using Adiabatic Compression of Relativistic-Electron Plasmas
Abstract
The Plasma Electron Microwave Source (PEMS) concept in a relativistic-electron plasma confined in a magnetic-mirror device. The stored energy is transformed into microwave through amplification of whistler waves that can be launched externally for amplifier operation or generated spontaneously for oscillator operation. The anisotropy of the hot-electron temperature governs the maximum plasma energy density that can be stored, the amplification rates, and the saturated power level of the unstable whistler waves. This report summarizes the results of theoretical studies of (1) the critical aspects of hot-electron plasmas generated by ECH techniques, such as the Upper Off-Resonant Heating pioneered by Dandl in the ELMO series of experiments; and, (2) the spatial amplification rates of unstable whistler waves in these plasmas. It is shown that a substantial fraction of the energy stored in a hot-electron plasma can be transformed into repetitive pulses of microwave power by employing the PEMS approach, with typical values of gain, about 40db and bandwidth.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 17, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA208657
Entities
People
- Gareth E. Guest
- Raphael A. Dandl
- Robert L. Miller