Plasma response to transient high voltage pulses

This review reports on plasma response to transient high voltage pulses in a low pressure unmagnetized plasma. Mainly, the experiments are reviewed, when a disc electrode (metallic and dielectric) is biased pulsed negative or positive. The main aim is to review the electron loss in plasmas and particle balance during the negative pulse electrode biasing, when the applied pulse width is less than the ion plasma period. Though the applied pulse width is less than the ion plasma period, ion rarefaction waves are excited. The solitary electron holes are reviewed for positive pulsed bias to the electrode. Also the excitation of waves (solitary electron and ion holes) is reviewed for a metallic electrode covered by a dielectric material. The wave excitation during and after the pulse withdrawal, excitation and propagation characteristics of various electrostatic plasma waves are reviewed here.     

Direct currents generated by microwave heating in toroidal plasma

The existence of a direct toroidal current in a magnetized plasma torus heated by microwaves is established experimentally. The dependences of that electric current on microwave power and gas pressure are given. The experimental results are consistent with the theory of non-linear dragging of electrons by waves travelling along the torus.     

Acoustic wave generation by microwaves and applications to nondestructive evaluation

Although acoustic wave generation by electromagnetic waves has been widely studied in the case of laser-generated ultrasounds, the literature on acoustic wave generation by thermal effects due to electromagnetic microwaves is very sparse. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the phenomenon of microwave generation, i.e. radiation pressure, electrostriction or thermal expansion. Now it is known that the main cause is the thermal expansion due to the microwave absorption. This paper will review the recent advances in the theory and experiments that introduce a new way to generate ultrasonic waves without contact for the purpose of nondestructive evaluation and control. The unidirectional theory based on Maxwell's equations, heat equation and thermoviscoelasticity predicts the generation of acoustic waves at interfaces and inside stratified materials. Acoustic waves are generated by a pulsed electromagnetic wave or a burst at a chosen frequency such that materials can be excited with a broad or narrow frequency range. Experiments show the generation of acoustic waves in water, viscoelastic polymers and composite materials shaped as rod and plates. From the computed and measured accelerations at interfaces, the viscoelastic and electromagnetic properties of materials such as polymers and composites can be evaluated (NDE). Preliminary examples of non-destructive testing applications are presented.     

Distinctive features of a pulsed beam scattering on a plane surface (two-dimensional case)

A two-dimensional problem of scattering of pulsed beams having arbitrary time and spatial form on a plane surface of a lossy dielectric halfspace is solved. A pulsed beam has been modeled by letting an E- or H-polarized plane pulse with homogeneous front pass through a space filter. The reflected pulse is found using an expansion of the incident pulsed beam over time-harmonic plane waves.     

Dielectric polarization in the Planck theory of sonoluminescence

Sonoluminescence observed in the cavitation of liquid H2O may be explained by the Planck theory of SL, which treats the bubbles as collapsing miniature masers having optical waves standing in resonance with the dimensions of the bubble cavity. Microwaves are shown to be created from the Planck energy of the standing waves, provided the bubble wall can be treated as a perfect blackbody surface. Liquid H2O is strongly absorbent in the ultraviolet and there the bubble approaches a Planck blackbody enclosure. The microwaves are created at frequencies proportional to the bubble collapse velocity only to be promptly absorbed by the rotation quantum states of the H2O and other bubble wall molecules. The microwaves are absorbed discretely at rotation line frequencies, or continuously by dipole rotation at frequencies from 1 to 30 GHz. In the liquid state, molecular rotation of the H2O molecule is hindered and the microwave energy is rapidly turned into bending energy by intermolecular collisions. Subsequently, the bubble wall molecules may thereby ionize and produce visible photons. The microwaves create intense electrical fields in the bubble wall by dielectric polarization. If the gases adjacent to the bubble wall undergo electrical breakdown, free electrons are created, thereby providing sonoluminescence with a magnetic field effect.     

Effects of microwave pulse-width damage on a bipolar transistor

This paper presents a theoretical study of the pulse-width effects on the damage process of a typical bipolar transistor caused by high power microwaves (HPMs) through the injection approach. The dependences of the microwave damage power, P, and the absorbed energy, E, required to cause the device failure on the pulse width τ are obtained in the nanosecond region by utilizing the curve fitting method. A comparison of the microwave pulse damage data and the existing dc pulse damage data for the same transistor is carried out. By means of a two-dimensional simulator, ISE-TCAD, the internal damage processes of the device caused by microwave voltage signals and dc pulse voltage signals are analyzed comparatively. The simulation results suggest that the temperature-rising positions of the device induced by the microwaves in the negative and positive half periods are different, while only one hot spot exists under the injection of dc pulses. The results demonstrate that the microwave damage power threshold and the absorbed energy must exceed the dc pulse power threshold and the absorbed energy, respectively. The dc pulse damage data may be useful as a lower bound for microwave pulse damage data.     

Correlation receiver of below-noise pulsed signals based on parametric interactions of spin waves in magnetic films

A correlation receiver capable of receiving pulsed microwave signals having amplitudes substantially below the noise level is proposed and experimentally realized. The device is based on the parametric interaction of two contra-propagating spin waves excited by the received microwave signal and the reference pulsed signal, containing information about the received signal shape, in a ferrite film waveguide. The output nonlinear correlation signal having the doubled carrier frequency and the signal-to-noise ratio enhanced by several orders of magnitude is received by a dielectric resonator coupled to an output microwave transmission line.     

紧凑小型脉冲功率源ARC-01/02及其应用

脉冲功率技术的重要发展方向是高功率密度、紧凑小型化和高稳定可靠。液体介质由于具有绝缘强度高、易流动、快恢复、散热性好等方面的特点,广泛应用于脉冲形成线型紧凑小型脉冲功率源的电容储能器件作为储能介质。主要围绕紧凑小型脉冲功率源ARC系列的技术难题,开展了关键技术、系统研发及其工程应用等方面的工作。首先,提出了基于液体介质和慢波结构的形成线,采用场均匀和绝缘配合技术,研制出紧凑小型脉冲功率源ARC-01和ARC-02,输出功率1～2 GW、脉冲宽度5～30 ns、重复频率1～100 Hz,紧凑化水平较国际先进同类装置最多提高了2倍。之后,以凑小型脉冲功率源为核心搭建液体介质击穿测试平台,针对变压器油、蓖麻油、甘油、碳酸丙烯酯等常见液体介质,开展了微秒脉冲击穿特性研究,采用统计分析方法建立了数据库,以“小成本”换取“高可靠性”;并采用超高速光学诊断方法,将击穿瞬间流注、冲击波、亚微观断裂面产生、传播、截止过程与张力理论结合,建立了液体介质击穿物理模型。最后,成功将紧凑小型脉冲功率源应用于驱动宽带/窄带微波产生、碳纤维阴极稳定性及寿命测试。     

基于光学-微波同步的低噪声微波产生方法

低噪声微波在冷原子光钟、光子雷达、大科学装置远程同步等领域具有重要的应用价值.本文介绍了一种基于光学-微波相位探测技术的低噪声微波产生方案,利用光纤环路光学-微波鉴相器,将超稳激光的频率稳定度相干传递至介质振荡器.实验采用梳齿相位参考至超稳激光的窄线宽掺铒光纤飞秒光学频率梳,结合光纤环路光学-微波鉴相器和精密锁相装置,将7 GHz介质振荡器同步至光频梳重复频率的高次谐波,同步后的光脉冲序列与微波信号的剩余相位噪声为–100 d Bc/Hz@1 Hz,定时抖动为8.6 fs [1 Hz—1.5 MHz];通过搭建两套低噪声微波产生系统,测得7 GHz微波的剩余相位噪声为–90 d Bc/Hz@1 Hz,对应的频率稳定度为4.8×10^–15@1 s.该研究结果对基于光学相干分频的低噪声微波产生提供了一种新思路.     

A novel liquid plasma AOP device integrating microwaves and ultrasounds and its evaluation in defluorinating perfluorooctanoic acid in aqueous media

A simplified and energy-saving integrated device consisting of a microwave applicator and an ultrasonic homogenizer has been fabricated to generate liquid plasma in a medium possessing high dielectric factors, for example water. The microwave waveguide and the ultrasonic transducer were interconnected through a tungsten/titanium alloy stick acting both as the microwave antenna and as the horn of the ultrasonic homogenizer. Both microwaves and ultrasonic waves are simultaneously transmitted to the aqueous media through the tungsten tip of the antenna. The microwave discharge liquid plasma was easily generated in solution during ultrasonic cavitation. The simple device was evaluated by carrying out the degradation of the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a system highly recalcitrant to degradation by conventional advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). PFOA is 59% degraded in an aqueous medium after only 90 s of irradiation by the plasma. Intermediates were identified by electrospray mass spectral techniques in the negative ion mode.     

Modulation instability in pulsed surface-wave sustained discharges

Experimental results showing development of modulation instability and tendency to soliton formation in pulsed gas discharges sustained by surface waves are presented. The measurements are performed in argon discharges at gas pressure 13-1.3·10³ Pa sustained by pulsed microwave power at 2.45 GHz, The changes along the discharge length of the shape of the pulses of the total light emission, which is an indication for the plasma density, and of the wave electric field creating the discharge, are registrated. The cases when the modulation instability arises from the level of fluctuations in the plasma and when it is forced by the applied signal producing the discharge are demonstrated. The obtained results are discussed in terms of weak nonlinearity superimposed on the mechanism of strong ionization nonlinearity responsible for the discharge creation itself. A separation of a solitary-like wave front the leading edge of the pulse is also reported as an experimental result     

纳秒激光在铜靶材中诱导冲击波的实验研究

基于聚偏二氟乙烯压电传感器, 对铜靶材中纳秒激光脉冲诱导的冲击波传播过程进行了实验研究, 给出了铜靶材内冲击压强随激光脉冲能量和靶材厚度的变化规律. 实验结果表明: 500 mJ激光脉冲能量作用到2 mm厚的铜靶材产生的冲击压强达到2.1 MPa; 激光脉冲能量从200 mJ 增加到500 mJ, 在铜靶材厚度为2和4 mm条件下, 冲击压强分别增加了162%和231%; 而当铜靶材厚度从2 mm增加到6 mm时, 在400和500 mJ激光脉冲能量作用下, 铜靶材内冲击压强分别降低了32%和49%.     

中国脉冲功率科技进展简述

从脉冲功率科学技术的基本内涵出发,回顾我国脉冲功率发展历史,按照高功率脉冲加速器建设历程,我国脉冲功率技术发展史可大致分成三个阶段:自主创业、加速成长到创新超越;尝试以国际视野介绍我国在闪光照相、Z箍缩、高功率微波、电磁发射和工业应用等方面的发展成就;简要阐述脉冲功率技术未来发展趋势,建议大力发展先进辐射源技术,关注爆磁压缩技术,加强HPM、抗核加固和电磁发射等各类负载技术攻关,加大协同创新和应用推广。     

Evolution of pulse shortening research in narrow band, high powermicrowave sources

The achievements resulting from the application of advanced pulsed power to the generation of high power microwaves (HPM) have included the generation of multi-gigawatt pulses of RF energy. The power achievable is orders of magnitude greater than conventional microwave sources can generate. However, the introduction of the HPM technology into logical applications has been limited to date due to the phenomenon of pulse shortening in which the RF pulse terminates before the pulse power source used to produce it. Conventional microwave tubes can generate a few to 10 MW of power with pulsewidths of many microseconds when required. High power microwave sources can produce gigawatts of power, but only for relatively short pulsewidths, typically tens to hundreds of nanoseconds. An international effort during the past few years has generated important new discoveries toward the elimination of pulse shortening. Some of the new techniques have the potential for helping the conventional tube industry as well as being practical for high power microwave sources. This paper reviews the pulse shortening problem, its causes, and the worldwide scope and direction of research conducted to date to resolve it. The paper also discusses the potential remedies for the problem and recommends a course of research to further progress on the issue     

介质窗口材料对高功率微波传输特性的影响

运用光学方法,分析平面波通过无限大介质平板的传输特性,进而分析单层介质窗口的引入对微波传输性能的影响。在S波段微波源上对聚四氟乙烯材料进行了真空环境下的微波放电击穿实验,通过长时间的表面放电,在聚四氟乙烯材料表面出现电痕和电树枝。在100 ns脉冲宽度下,未发生大面积表面放电前,通过光学照相,在介质表面观测到局部放电现象,认为局部放电仍能导致材料表面破坏。作为对比,进行了聚苯乙烯材料的电老化实验,实验结果表明聚苯乙烯材料具有良好的耐电痕、耐电树枝老化特性。     

Generation of acoustic waves by power microwave pulses with the use of thin metal films

We study the features of excitation of acoustic waves by high-power microwave pulses in thin metal films bordering on liquid. Aluminum films with thicknesses 1–10 nm deposited onto a quartz substrate were used in experiments. It is shown theoretically that the absorption coefficient of microwaves is maximum for film thickness from 2 to 3 nm and the value of this maximum is determined by the dielectric permittivity of the bordering liquid. Theoretical calculations and experiments are performed for water and ethyl alcohol. The sound generation in a layered system quartz-aluminum film-liquid is analyzed with the help of the step-by-step approach. At the first step, microwave energy is absorbed in the film and heat is released. Then heat almost instantly diffuses into a liquid whose thermal expansion creates an acoustic signal. Profiles of acoustic signals excited in aluminum films by microwave pulses with a 5-ns duration and an energy of up to 1 mJ are experimentally detected. The most efficient transduction was observed for an aluminum film 3.5 nm thick.     

Design of MMICs employing whispering-gallery mode dielectric resonators at microwave and millimeter wave frequencies

A simple theoretical model for predicting the resonant frequencies of the modes of the whispering — gallery (WG) mode dielectric resonators MICs (Microwave Integrated Circuits) at microwave and millimetre wave frequencies is presented. The unsymmetric field distribution for WGE mode in the axial direction is taken into account. The theoretical results are found to be in good agreement with the practical results taken at microwaves C-X bands. In addition, the variation of resonant modes against dielectric resonator's dimensions and dielectric constant is modelled. The effect of the width of dielectric substrate on resonant modes is also illustrated.     

Experimental research of diffuse bi-directional pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma

A bi-directional nanosecond pulsed power supply is employed to generate diffuse dielectric barrier discharge in N₂ using needle-plate electrode configuration at atmospheric pressure. Both discharge images and optical emission spectra of diffuse bi-directional nanosecond high-voltage pulsed dielectric barrier discharge are successfully recorded under severe electromagnetic interference. The diffuse performance of the discharge at different electrode gap distances is observed. The effects of pulse peak voltage, pulse repetition rate, electrode gap distance, He addition, and O₂ addition on the optical emission spectra are investigated. The main physicochemical processes involved are discussed.     

S波段长脉冲相对论返波振荡器实验研究

从物理机制上定性地分析了导致脉冲缩短的主要原因,给出了长脉冲重复频率运行下的相对论返波振荡器(RBWO)设计原则。结合传统谐振式返波振荡器的基本设计理论,设计和模拟优化了工作在S波段的长脉冲RBWO,并利用本实验室现有长脉冲脉冲功率驱动源开展了S波段长脉冲RBWO的实验研究。实验结果表明:在单次运行条件下,微波输出功率达到约2 GW、脉宽约90 ns;在10 Hz重复频率运行条件下,输出微波功率达到约1 GW、脉宽约100 ns。器件产生的微波频率为3.6 GHz,输出模式为TM01模,效率约20%。对实验结果分析表明,器件截止颈和第一个慢波结构结合处的爆炸发射是导致脉冲缩短的主要原因之一。     

激光等离子体对反射波频移影响的实验研究

 研究了微波被激光等离子体反射时反射波的频率变化。实验中微波发生器产生的微波入射到激光等离子体并被等离子体反射,反射波的频率由频谱分析仪测量,发现反射波的频率与入射波的频率明显不同,分析了在激光等离子体膨胀和熄灭两种情况下激光功率密度和入射波频率对反射波频移影响的原因。结果表明：在等离子体膨胀和熄灭过程中,反射波频移的最大值随激光功率密度的增加而增加;随入射微波频率的增加而减小。