Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-jswmv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T13:50:16.103Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Parametric excitation of a plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

C. S. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics and Information Science Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.
G. J. Lewak
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics and Information Science Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.

Abstract

The parametric effect of an applied uniform oscillating electric field on both unmagnetized and magnetized plasmas is investigated. By using a perturbation method of multitime scales, we have shown that parametric excitation of transverse waves propagating obliquely to the applied field in an unmagnetized plasma is possible. The growth rate of the excited waves reaches a maximum for transverse propagation. Ion motion does not change the character of the parametric excitation except by reducing the growth rate. In a magnetized plasma it is shown that excitation of a pair of waves is possible where one is a Langmuir wave, propagating along the magnetic field and the other is a circularly polarized transverse wave propagating in the opposite direction.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable