Open AccessParametric instabilities and plasma heating in an inhomogeneous plasma
Author(s) -
M. Porkoláb,
V. Arunasalam,
N. C. Luhmann,
J. P. M. Schmitt
Publication year - 1975
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4165662
Subject(s) - plasma , atomic physics , ion , microwave , electron , plasma parameters , materials science , dispersion (optics) , radiation , laser , physics , optics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
Experimental studies of plasma heating due to microwave irradiation of the magnetically confined plasma column in the Princeton L-3 device is presented. X-band (10.4 GHz) microwave power, both in the ordinary and the extraordinary modes of propagation, is used in these experiments. Plasma heating is observed to occur simultaneously with the occurrence of parametric decay instabilities. The mode structure of the pump wave and the decay ion wave dispersion has been measured with high frequency probes. Detailed measurements of electron heating rates are presented and compared with collisional heating rates. In addition, production of suprathermal electrons and ions is also observed and measured. A comparison is made with recent laser-pellet interaction experiments. (auth