Zur Theorie elektrostatischer Schwingungen in einem Vlasov-Plasma bei äußerem elektrischen Feld

Longitudinal plasma oscillations under the action of an external homogeneous time dependent electric field are examined with regard to the stability of the plasma. The basic model is an infinitely extended collisionless quasineutral two-component plasma. Starting from the linearized Vlasov equation dispersion relations are derived and discussed. It is shown that for an isothermal two-component plasma instabilities are possible, and limites for the area of instability are given. Further a second method of solution starting from an integral equation for the internal electric field is developed. The equivalence of both methods is shown by means of special cases.     

A One‐Dimensional Particle‐in‐Cell Model of Plasma Build‐Up in Vacuum Arcs

Understanding the mechanism of plasma build‐up in vacuum arcs is essential in many fields of physics. A one‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell computer simulation model is presented, which models the plasma developing from a field emitter tip under electrical breakdown conditions, taking into account the relevant physical phenomena. As a starting point, only an external electric field and an initial enhancement factor of the tip are assumed. General requirements for plasma formation have been identified and formulated in terms of the initial local field and a critical neutral density. The dependence of plasma build‐up on tip melting current, the evaporation rate of neutrals and external circuit time constant has been investigated for copper and simulations imply that arcing involves melting currents around 0.5–1 A/μm², evaporation of neutrals to electron field emission ratios in the regime 0.01 – 0.05, plasma build‐up timescales in the order of ～ 1 – 10 ns and two different regimes depending on initial conditions, one producing an arc plasma, the other one not. Also the influence of the initial field enhancement factor and the external electric field required for ignition has been explored, and results are consistent with the experimentally measured local field value of ～ 10 GV/m for copper (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Propagation of terahertz waves in nonuniform plasma slab under "electromagnetic window"

The application of magnetic fields, electric fields, and the increase of the electromagnetic wave frequency are up-and-coming solutions for the blackout problem. Therefore, this study considers the influence of the external magnetic field on the electron flow and the effect of the external electric field on the electron density distribution, and uses the scattering matrix method (SMM) to perform theoretical calculations and analyze the transmission behavior of terahertz waves under different electron densities, magnetic field distributions, and collision frequencies. The results show that the external magnetic field can improve the transmission of terahertz waves at the low-frequency end. Magnetizing the plasma from the direction perpendicular to the incident path can optimize the right-hand polarized wave transmission. The external electric field can increase the transmittance to some extent, and the increase of the collision frequency can suppress the right-hand polarized wave cyclotron resonance caused by the external magnetic field. By adjusting these parameters, it is expected to alleviate the blackout phenomenon to a certain extent.     

Frequency shift and anomalous resistivity of turbulent plasmas in external electric and magnetic fields

Accounting for the modified orbits of plasma particles due to constant external electric and magnetic fields, a general expression for the velocity space diffusion tensor of a turbulent plasma is derived. The nonlinear frequency shift and the anomalous resistivity in the presence of external fields are calculated. It is shown that the effect of a strong external electric field on the frequency shift is to reduce its magnitude. Furthermore, the dependence of the anomalous resistivity on the external magnetic field is obtained.     

Parametrical Instability of Surface Type X-modes Immersed into a Nonmonochromatic Pumping Electric Field

Parametrical excitation of surface type X-modes (STXM) at the second harmonic of electron cyclotron frequency by nonmonochromatic external alternating electric field is under consideration. STXM are the eigenmodes of a planar magnetoactive plasma waveguide structure consisting of a metal wall with dielectric coating and uniform plasma filling. An external steady magnetic field is applied along the plasma interface, so it is perpendicular to the group velocity of the considered extraordinarily polarized waves. Influence of the plasma waveguide parameters on the parametrical instability of the STXM is studied. External alternating electric field is assumed to consist of two fields with different amplitudes and frequencies. A theoretical investigation is carried out using kinetic equation for plasma particles under the conditions of weak plasma spatial dispersion and small amplitudes of external electric fields. The obtained results can be useful for research in branch of edge plasma physics.     

Allgemeine Berechnung der Elektronenverteilungsfunktion von schwach ionisierten Plasmen in beliebig zeitabhängigen elektromagnetischen Feldern

The behaviour of a weakly ionized plasma in external, arbitrarily time-dependent, electromagnetic fields is treated within the framework of kinetic theory. The Boltzmann kinetic equation is solved using the Lorentz ansatz, taking into account elastic collisions between electrons and neutral particles and assuming that the collision frequency is independent of the electron velocity. The drift velocity of electrons enters into the isotropic part f₀ and into the direction-dependent part f₁ of the electron distribution function. A method is given for the calculation of the drift velocity, which is calculated explicitly for the important but difficult case of a sinusoidal electric field in the presence of a magnetic switching field. f₀ and f₁ are calculated; f₀ is investigated generally. f₀ consists of an expansion in generalized Laguerre polynomials. The influence of the electromagnetic fields on the distribution function and its time variation is discussed and the relaxation behaviour is shown. The following two special cases are calculated explicitly: a linear rising electric field and a sinusoidal electric field, both in the presence of a constant magnetic field.     

The influence of the external magnetic field on the velocity of the plasma cluster

The general method for design of the pulse electromagnet with the rectangular coil is given in this paper. By means of this method the external magnetic field for the plasma cluster acceleration in the rail accelerator has been realized. The experimentally obtained dependences of the plasma cluster path and velocity on the external magnetic field are included.     

Resonance Radiative Collision of Charged Particles in an External Magnetic Field

We analyze bremsstrahlung due to collision of a relativistic electron with an ion in an external longitudinal magnetic field. Within the framework of the perturbation method, a general expression for the electric field of radiation is derived. It is shown that the magnitude of the resonance peak of the spectral line is determined by the small dissipative force of radiation reaction. The influence of the external field on the specific intensity and polarization of the wave is analyzed in detail.     

Degenerate plasma in a half-space under an external alternating electric field near resonance

The behavior of the electric field near the surface of a half-space filled with a degenerate electron gas in an external ac electric field is studied. The resonance case is considered in which the frequency of the external field is close to that of plasma oscillations. The special features of the behavior of the screened field are analyzed for diffuse reflection of electrons from the boundary. It is shown that there are two layers adjoining the surface in which the behavior of the screened field differs significantly.     

Längsfeldstärke,Elektronentemperatur, mittlere Neutralgasdichte,Ionenstromdichte auf die Wand und mittlere Entladungsstromdichte in der Freifallsäule bei hohem Ionisationsgrad

On the basis of a foregoing paper new theoretical results for the positive column at low pressure and strong ionization, especially for discharges in noble gas ion lasers, are given. The mean velocity v_n0 of the neutral atoms reemitted from the wall is taken into account. The electric conductivity is calculated for an argon plasma. The formulas connecting the electron temperature, the mean neutral gas density, and the electric field strength are derived. The electron temperature, the axial electric field intensity, the degree of ionization, the axial electron drift velocity, the ion flux to the wall, and the force density causing the main part of gas pumping along the column are calculated as functions of the product of the mean current density and the tube radius, and of v_n0 for argon. The axial drift velocity of the electrons is still smaller than the mean thermal electron velocity for high discharge currents, except at very low gas pressures. In general, the ion flux to the wall is not directly proportional to the discharge current. The factor for the determination of the charged particle density by means of probe measurements at the wall is discussed. The self-magnetic field affects the discharge only at high electron temperature, high degree of ionization, and relatively large tube radius, i.e. at high current density and low gas pressure in not too narrow discharge channels.     

Electric field effects on tunnel magnetoresistance in FM–organic molecule–FM junction

The electronic properties of an organic molecule under external electric field are investigated based on a single band tight-binding model Hamiltonian and the Green's function approach with the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. These properties are studied for a chain of benzene rings (oligophenylene). A self-consistent calculation is adopted to analyze the external electric field effects on the electronic properties of system. It is shown that variation in electron density and HOMO–LUMO gap of the junction are direction depended on the external electric field strength. Our results show that in the presence of external electric field the transmission, current and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) decrease, the negative differential resistance occurs.     

Anomalous capacitive sheath with deep radio-frequency electric-field penetration

A novel nonlinear effect of anomalously deep penetration of an external radio-frequency electric field into a plasma is described. A self-consistent kinetic treatment reveals a transition region between the sheath and the plasma. Because of the electron velocity modulation in the sheath, bunches in the energetic electron density are formed in the transition region adjacent to the sheath. The width of the region is of order V(T)/omega, where V(T) is the electron thermal velocity, and omega is the frequency of the electric field. The presence of the electric field in the transition region results in a collisionless cooling of the energetic electrons and an additional heating of the cold electrons.     

On the one-electron theory of crystalline solids in a homogeneous electric field

Assuming that the one-electron states of a perfect crystalline solid are known, an approach for the calculation of the one-electron states in the presence of external fields and/or other deviations from the periodic potential of the perfect crystal is suggested. The treatment is based on the Wannier representation and the use of a method for solving some operator non-polynomial differential equations. In the approximation of the one-band Wannier equation an exact solution of the problem for electron states of the crystals in a homogeneous external electric field is given. The results obtained in the tight binding approximation for cubic crystals show that the electron motion along the field is finite and the degree of its finiteness for a given electric field strength is greater, the smaller the width of the initial energy band considered. In the one-band approximation Considered the electron energy spectrum has the character of the Wannier-Stark ladder. It is also shown that an influence of transverse motion on the character of the finite motion along the field appears when a non-additivity in the initial energy band function with respect to the energies of motions parallel and perpendicular to the field direction is present.     

Propagation and reflection of an electromagnetic wave in a hot inhomogeneous plasma

Using the WKB method a local dispersion equation of a right-hand circularly polarized wave and an expression for its electric field are derived, the wave having frequency smaller than the electron cyclotron frequency and propagating in a hot inhomogeneous plasma. The density gradient of the plasma is constant and parallel to an external magnetostatic field. Further the reflection coefficient of this wave is derived.Stimulating discussions with Dr. J. Václavík are gratefully acknowledged.     

Photoionization microscopy of Rydberg hydrogen atom in a non-uniform electrical field

In this paper,we investigate the photoionization microscopy of the Rydberg hydrogen atom in a gradient electric field for the first time.The observed oscillatory patterns in the photoionization microscopy are explained within the framework of the semiclassical theory,which can be considered as a manifestation of interference between various electron trajectories arriving at a given point on the detector plane.In contrast with the photoionization microscopy in the uniform electric field,the trajectories of the ionized electron in the gradient electric field will become chaotic.An infinite set of different electron trajectories can arrive at a given point on the detector plane,which makes the interference pattern of the electron probability density distribution extremely complicated.Our calculation results suggest that the oscillatory pattern in the electron probability density distribution depends sensitively on the electric field gradient,the scaled energy and the position of the detector plane.Through our research,we predict that the interference pattern in the electron probability density distribution can be observed in an actual photoionization microscopy experiment once the external electric field strength and the position of the electron detector plane are reasonable.This study provides some references for the future experimental research on the photoionization microscopy of the Rydberg atom in the non-uniform external fields.     

Die Relaxation der Geschwindigkeitsverteilungsfunktion der Elektronen im homogenen elektrischen Feld mit elastischen und anregenden Stößen. II. Das Verhalten des Elektronenensembles bei aperiodischer Feldänderung zwischen zwei stationären Zuständen

Recently the relaxation of the electron component was investigated under field-free conditions after sudden switch-off the electric field and otherwise after sudden changing the electric field to a new value of field strength. To continue these papers we consider now the relaxation process of the electron ensemble in the presence of a monotonous time variable electric field. The investigations are based on a computation of time change in the isotropic part of the velocity distribution function of the electrons and of the macroscopic parameters determined by the distribution function. The start-ing-point is the non-stationary Boltzmann equation with stationary initial states taking into consideration elastic and exciting collisions. Besides the representation of the received numerical results a physical interpretation is obtained for the duration of the whole relaxation process, for its initial stage as well as for the momentary stage of the relaxation by introduction of normalized characteristic time quantities. Further characterizing conditions are found related to the relaxation after quasi-jumplike change of the electric field and in the case of quasistationary field alteration respectively. With the introduced characteristic time quantities statements about the degree of realization of one of this limiting cases are possible for any given monotonous field. The investigations are per-formed in a low ionized non-thermal neon plasma.     

两种外磁场形式对介质面次级电子倍增的抑制

利用自编1D3V PIC程序,数值研究了不同外加磁场方式对次级电子倍增抑制的物理过程,给出了次级电子数目、平均能量、密度、运动轨迹、渡越时间、介质表面静电场及沉积功率等物理量时空分布关系。模拟结果表明:不同方向外加磁场抑制次级电子倍增的机理有所不同。轴向外加磁场利用电子回旋运动干扰微波电场对电子加速过程,使其碰壁能量降低以达到抑制二次电子倍增的效果;横向外加磁场利用电子回旋漂移过程中,电子半个周期被推离介质表面（不发生次级电子倍增）,半个周期被推回介质表面（降低电子碰撞能量）的作用机理,达到抑制二次电子倍增的效果。讨论了横向磁场在回旋共振下,电子回旋同步加速导致回旋半径增大,电子能量持续增加的特殊过程。两种外加磁场方式都可以通过增加磁场达到进一步抑制次级电子倍增的目的。轴向外加磁场加载容易,但对磁场要求较高;横向外加磁场需要磁场较低,但加载较为困难。     

Momentum Space Diffusion from Spatially Amplified Waves in a Plasma in a Magnetic Field

Quasilinear equations for relativistic plasmas in external magnetic fields are derived for the case of spatially growing wave turbulence. This generalizes the well-known quasilinear approach to an amplifying relativistic plasma. The equations can be cast in condensed momentum-space diffusive form. The diffusion tensor is given. As a result an inhomogeneity is produced in the space charge distribution giving rise to the development of a second-order field-aligned dc electric field. A general formula for the electrostatic potential is presented, which is specialised to the case of ion-cyclotron turbulence. Here the field points out of the interaction region.     

Ionization of an air-methane mixture in a near-critical electric field

The process of effective ionization at the early stages of development of an electric discharge in methane-air mixtures at moderate and high pressures is analyzed. The ionization in an external electric field with consideration given to background electrons, electron attachment to and detachment from atoms and oxygen molecule, recharging, and anion-neutral electron exchange is considered. The dependences of the rates of ion-molecular processes on the temperature and electric field strength are examined.     

Dynamics of an ion flow in an electron layer

We study the acceleration of an ion flow in the electron layer formed by an electron flow moving in a transverse electric field and confined by the intrinsic magnetic field. The possibility of extraction of heavy ions with velocities lower than the ion sound velocity from the plasma, and the feasibility of their further acceleration by an external field is demonstrated.