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Linearly Polarized Characteristic Waves in a Magnetoplasma
Author(s) -
Verdeyen Joseph T.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1002/rds19661137
Subject(s) - physics , magnetic field , electromagnetic radiation , refractive index , linear polarization , wave propagation , surface wave , computational physics , electric field , optical field , electromagnetic field , field (mathematics) , amplitude , classical mechanics , quantum electrodynamics , optics , quantum mechanics , mathematics , laser , pure mathematics
It is shown that linearly polarized electromagnetic waves can exist in a bounded magnetoplasma and propagate at an arbitrary angle with respect to the magnetic field lines. Although the Electric field of these waves is linearly polarized, the refractive mdex vector consists of real and Imagmary parts which are othogonal to each other in a collisionless plasma. The amplitude of the fields grow in direction of the imaginary part of the refractive index. and thus one surface must always be present to terminate and to guide the electromagnetic fields. Hence this theory is a generalization of surface‐wave phenomena occurring in magnetoplasmas. Expressions are developed which explicitly show the dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index upon the plasma parameters for an arbitrary angle of propagation with respect to the magnetic field. The special case of the propagation vector and the electric field oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field is discussed in detail. Experiments are presented which are in excellent agreement with the surface‐wave theory of this special case.