Abstract
As a non-linear medium, plasma can exhibit diverse dynamics when excited bymultiple EM waves. Electromagnetic waves are vital to the introduction of energyin laser plasma interactions and the heating of magnetically confined fusion reactors.In laser plasma applications Raman coupling via a Langmuir oscillation or Brillouinscattering mediated by ion-acoustic waves are of interest. Signals with normalisedintensities approaching those used in some recent laser plasma interactions can begenerated using powerful and flexible microwave amplifiers, interacting in relativelytenuous, cool and accessible plasma. Other multi-wave interactions are interesting formagnetic confinement fusion plasmas, for example beat-wave interactions betweentwo microwave signals coupling to cyclotron motion of the ions and electrons or thelower hybrid oscillations may be useful in heating the plasmas or for driving currents.A linear plasma experiment is being built to test such multifrequency microwaveinteraction in plasma, based on prior research on geophysical cyclotron wave emissionand propagation [1,2]. The main section of the plasma will be magnetised at up to0.05T, with the plasma created by an RF helicon source to generate a dense, large,cool plasma with a high ionisation fraction. A range of frequency-flexible sources willprovide microwave beams to enable multi-wave coupling experiments. The paper willpresent progress on this apparatus and experiments.The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the EPSRC, MBDA UK Ltd andTMD Technologies Ltd.[1] Ronald K., Speirs D.C., McConville S.L., Phelps A.D.R., Robertson C.W., WhyteC.G., He W., Gillespie K.M., Cross A.W., Bingham R., 2008, Phys. Plasmas, 15,art.056503[2] Speirs, D.C., Bingham, R., Cairns, R.A., Vorgul, I., Kellett, B.J., Phelps, A.D.R.,Ronald, K, 2014, Phys. Rev. Lett., 113, art 155002
Original language | English |
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Pages | 2P40 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 23 Jun 2019 |
Event | The 2019 IEEE Pulsed Power and Plasma Science Conference (PPPS) - DoubleTree at the Entrance to Universal Orlando, Orlando, United States Duration: 23 Jun 2019 → 28 Jun 2019 https://www.ppps2019.org/ |
Conference
Conference | The 2019 IEEE Pulsed Power and Plasma Science Conference (PPPS) |
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Abbreviated title | PPPS |
Country/Territory | United States |
City | Orlando |
Period | 23/06/19 → 28/06/19 |
Internet address |
Keywords
- linear plasma
- non-linear plasma
- electromagnetic waves
- laser plasma