Breakdown in air in a rising microwave field

Results are presented from studies of a high-pressure electrodeless breakdown in air at the focus of a standing wave in a high-Q quasi-optical two-mirror resonator pumped by single microwave pulses. In the experiment, the breakdown occurred at the front of the pulse of the resonator field. The breakdown field substantially exceeded the critical level and, under fixed conditions, showed a scatter from pulse to pulse. It is shown that the experimentally found excess in the threshold breakdown field over the critical level is due to the fact that the resonator field increases as a discharge plasmoid forms during breakdown and that the appearance of an electron initiating breakdown in a gas is a random event.     

Studying the Generation Stage of a Plasma Jet in a Plasma Focus Discharge

A dense compact plasmoid generated at the pinch collapse stage is revealed in a plasma focus discharge by laser optical methods. The initial size of the plasmoid is ~1 mm, its electron density is more than 2 × 10¹⁹ cm^–3, and the plasmoid propagates along the axis from the anode at an average velocity of more than 10⁷ cm/s. A shock wave is generated in the residual argon plasma during the motion of the bunch, its density decreases to 10¹⁸ cm^–3 at a distance of 3 cm from its place of generation, and the plasmoid expands by 3–5 times and almost merges together with the leading edge of the shock wave.     

介质表面附近微波大气击穿的理论研究

将麦克斯韦方程组和简化等离子体方程耦合求解, 对介质表面附近大气击穿形成等离子体的过程进行了理论研究. 分别使用一维、二维模型对等离子体的形成过程及等离子体对电磁波的反射、吸收过程进行了模拟研究. 一维计算结果发现在n_e = 0, j = 0两种边界条件下, 虽然形成的等离子体密度分布相差较大, 但二者得到的微波反射、吸收、透射波形彼此相差不大. 初始电子数密度厚度为20 mm的条件下, 得到界面附近的等离子体密度大于5 mm厚度的情况. 二维计算结果发现, 由于TE10模在波导中心位置处的微波电场最强, 电子碰撞电离首先在中心位置处形成等离子体, 当等离子体密度达到一定值(临界密度附近)时, 波导中心介质表面处微波场强减小, 等离子体区域沿着介质表面向两侧移动. TE10模在波导边缘处微波电场强度小于击穿阈值, 因此等离子体区域不可能移动到波导边缘附近.     

Analysis of the diamagnetic effect in multipole Galatea traps

The toroidal current emerging after the injection of a plasmoid through the magnetic shell of the Trimyx-3M (microwave) multipole trap is measured using the Rogowski loop. This current is due to diamagnetism of the plasma. The relation between the diamagnetic current and the maximal plasma pressure produced at the magnetic field separatrix is obtained. It is shown hence that magnetic measurements in a multi-pole trap for a known concentration make it possible to determine the plasma temperature in the trap and the energy confinement time.     

Ultrasonic sensing of a plasmoid

An atmospheric plasmoid that is obtained in a discharge above the water surface has been known since 2000 and studied in several laboratories. The main parameters, in particular, the gas temperature, must be measured for interpretation of this phenomenon. The temperature measurements are complicated, since the plasmoid ascends in air and can be detected by sensors at a relatively short time interval. A method for the ultrasonic sensing of a plasmoid is developed. A scheme of the setup for the ultrasonic sensing is presented and a procedure is described. The speed of sound in a gas is one-to-one related to the gas temperature. The plasmoid temperature is calculated using the speed of ultrasound on the assumption that the plasmoid is formed from water vapor. In accordance with the experimental results, the plasmoid temperature decreases from 2800 to 600–700 K over a lifetime of 500 ms. A decrease in the temperature results from heat emission and mixing with surrounding air.     

Guiding of an electromagnetic pulse in a plasma immersed in combined wiggler and axial magnetic fields

We present a new plasma-based method of guiding an electromagnetic pulse. The scheme consists of an inhomogeneous magnetic field and a uniform density plasma, in contrast to existing schemes that rely on transverse plasma density gradients but need not be magnetized. The refractive index of a magnetized plasma depends on the strength and direction of the magnetic field as well as the plasma density. A guiding channel is formed by using field inhomogeneity to generate the desired transverse profile of the index of refraction. The concept is analyzed with an envelope equation and, for the specific example of a wiggler magnetic field, with a two-dimension particle-in-cell simulation. A simplified model of this scheme as producing a magnetic wall in analogy to metallic waveguides is presented, for which corresponding approximate relations for the guided mode axial wavelength and radius are derived as functions of the plasma and magnetic field parameter. These are seen to be in good agreement with particle-in-cell simulation results. Since the desired inhomogeneity of the refractive index can be made easily when the electromagnetic wave frequency is close to the cyclotron frequency, this guiding scheme is most readily applied in the microwave regime.     

Flux conversion and evidence of relaxation in a high-beta plasma formed by high-speed injection into a mirror confinement structure

High-beta plasmoids can survive the violent dynamics of supersonic reflection off mirror structures, producing a stable high-beta field-reversed configuration (FRC). This shows both the robustness of FRCs and their tendency to assume a preferred plasma state, possibly conforming to a relaxation principle. The key observations are (1) approximate preservation of the magnetic helicity, (2) substantial conversion from toroidal to poloidal magnetic flux, (3) substantial toroidal flow, and (4) a high-beta quiescent final state. These results are from the Translation, Confinement, and Sustainment experiment where a disorganized plasmoid is injected at super-Alfvenic speed into a confinement chamber. After successive reflections from end mirrors, the plasmoid settled into a near-FRC state with high beta and low toroidal magnetic field. The flux conversion and helicity preservation are inferred by an interpretive model.     

Dependence of Output Power on Cavity Length in a Gyrotron Backward Wave Oscillator

A relativistic electron beam (500 keV, 200 A, 10 ns) generated magnetically tunable microwave radiation in a frequency range of 9-13 GHz when it is injected into an X-band rectangular waveguide immersed in a uniform axial magnetic field (4-10 kG). The mechanism of the microwave radiation was identified as the gyrotron backward wave interaction. The output power of the radiated microwave increased exponentially with the increase of the cavity length.     

Generation of a uniform high-density microwave plasma for CO2 lasers using orthogonal electric fields

To realize a CO₂ laser using a fast-axial-flow high-output-power microwave discharge excitation, we devised a technology for making the microwave discharge uniform by varying the oscillation direction of an electric field with time. We also verified the effectiveness of this technology. As a result, we succeeded in increasing the discharge uniformity to 70% of the laser-tube cross-sectional area and realized a high laser output power and a high laser efficiency. In the case of a microwave input power of 1450 W, a maximum laser output power of 273 W and a laser efficiency of 18.8% were achieved; in the case of a microwave input power of 1070 W, a laser output power of 214 W and a laser efficiency of 20.0% were achieved. At the time of maximum output power, a high input power density of 280 W/cm³, which is approximately 20 times that in a dc discharge method, was achieved. Thus, a high-output-power microwave-discharge-excited CO₂ laser has become feasible. PACS 42.60.By; 52.80.Pi     

大面积等离子体片密度分布分析

利用空心阴极放电产生了尺寸为60 cm× 60 cm× 2 cm的大面积等离子体面. 在实验室条件下对大面积等离子体片的密度分布进行了测量. 由于高压放电脉冲脉宽较短, 实验中改变了测量方法, 同时, 在中等磁场影响下, 为了得到真实的等离子体密度, 进行了必要的数值修正.在放电电流为1---6 A时, 测量了二维的电子密度分布. 另外, 测量并讨论了其他环境参数对等离子体密度的影响. 电子密度的分布情况对与微波波束切换相当重要. 由空心阴极增强型放电产生的大面积等离子体面具有反射X波段(8---12 GHz) 微波需要的足够稠密的电子密度和足够均匀的密度分布, 这是等离子体面在雷达系统中取代金属面板的有利条件.     

Efficient microwave source of a dense magnetoplasma

The paper describes the measurement of an electron density of the plasma generated by means of helical slow-down structures at microwave frequencies inside glass tubes of different diameters. Besides, the efficiency of an absorption of the microwave energy in a plasma column on the magnitude of a confining static magnetic field is given. Obtained results can be used for design of microwave sources of the plasma.     

Absolute negative resistance in a nonequilibrium two-dimensional electron system in a strong magnetic field

The effect of microwave electromagnetic radiation on the resistance of the 2D electron gas in a GaAs/AlAs heterostructure in a strong magnetic field is investigated. It is shown that, under the nonequilibrium conditions caused by microwave radiation, the aforementioned 2D system exhibits giant oscillations of its resistance with varying magnetic field. When the measuring current density is small, an increase in the microwave power leads to the appearance of an absolute negative resistance at the main minimum of these oscillations, which lies near the cyclotron resonance. The experimental data are found to be in qualitative agreement with the theory of multiphoton photoinduced impurity scattering [J. Inarrea and G. Platero, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 052109 (2006)].     

Gyrotron Backward Wave Oscillator Experiments with a Relativistic Electron Beam Using an X-Band Rectangular Waveguide

A mildly relativistic electron beam (500keV, 200A, 10ns) injected into an X-band rectangular waveguide immersed in a uniform axial magnetic field (4-10kG) produced magnetically tunable microwave radiation in the 9-13 GHz frequency range with an estimated output power of 1MW. The frequency range and tunability of the radiated microwave agreed with a theoretical model for a gyrotron backward wave oscillator taking into account the low energy component of the beam electron.     

Helical Cerenkov effect, a novel radiation source

The observability of the helical Cerenkov effect as a novel radiation source is discussed. Depending on the value of the index of refraction of the medium, the strength of the uniform magnetic field, and the electron beam energy, helical Cerenkov radiation can occur in the same spectral regions as the ordinary Cerenkov effect, that is, from microwave to visible wavelengths. From the kinematics point of view, I argue that for a microwave wavelength of 10^-1cm this effect should be observable in a medium with an index of refraction of 1.4, with a beam energy of 3 MeV, and a uniform magnetic field of 4 T. On the specific level, however, for the sake of simplicity, I discuss the observability of this effect for visible light with the central wavelength of 5×10^-5 cm which can be achieved with 2 MeV in beam energy, silica aerogel as a medium (with an index of refraction of 1.075), and uniform magnetic fields from 5 to 10 T. For a 10-T magnetic field, I calculate that in the visible region of 250 to 750 nm an electron will produce a photon per 10 cm of traveled length. As to the stimulated helical Cerenkov emission, I estimate that respectable gains are possible even if the beam passes close to the dielectric rather than through it. In addition to being potentially a new radiation source, the helical Cerenkov effect could possibly be used as a detector of radiation by energetic electrons that are trapped in a medium by strong magnetic fields     

高功率微波在等离子体填充波导中的传播特性

 在考虑有质动力情况下对高功率微波在等离子体填充波导中的传播特性进行了理论分析和数值计算,研究了高功率微波在等离子体中的传播特性和微波场强与等离子体密度分布之间的关系。结果表明高功率微波的有质动力将影响微波色散特性,使微波场强分布偏离Bessel分布,并对等离子体有排开作用,当场强足够大时可将波导中心处等离子体排空形成低密度通道。     

四能级系统中相位控制电磁诱导透明研究

提出了一种利用微波场的相对相位调控电磁诱导透明(EIT)光谱特性的方法. 在外加双微波驱动场的准Λ型四能级原子系统中,通过求解系统的密度矩阵方程得到探测场的吸收谱,分析了电磁诱导透明窗口的位置随微波驱动场相位的变化规律,并借助缀饰态理论给出了准确解释. 结果表明,对于确定的作用场强度,调节微波驱动场的相位可实现电磁诱导透明的频率位置及间隔的准确控制. 关键词： 四能级原子系统 电磁诱导透明(EIT) 相位控制 微波场     

Advanced high-pressure plasma diagnostics with hairpin resonator probe surrounded by film and sheath

The hairpin probe using microwave resonance in plasma is applicable to high pressure 1.33×10 3-1.01×10 5 Pa)) as developed recently.In this work,an analytic model of the hairpin resonator probe surrounded by a thin dielectric layer and a sheath layer is proposed.The correction factor due to these surroundings is analytically found and confirmed by electromagnetic field finite difference time domain simulation,thus enabling the accurate measurement of electron density in a high-pressure non-equilibrium uniform discharge.     

Magnetohydrodynamic stabilization of a stratified cylindrical flow

The effect of a uniform axial magnetic field on the stability of a stratified cylindrical flow of negligible viscosity and resistivity is examined. The fluid is assumed to be electrically conducting. The basic density and velocity fields are allowed to vary in two directions. The standard normal mode approach is used to treat the stability of the system. The complex wave speed of an unstable mode lies in the upper half of a semicircle whose diameter decreases with increasing magnetic field. A strong enough magnetic field can completely stabilize flows with unstable density stratification.     

Expansion of a two-component plasmoid in a vacuum

Numerical integration of the equations of two-fluid hydrodynamics is used to solve the problem of the one-dimensional expansion in a vacuum of a quasineutral plasmoid, consisting of a mixture of ions of different charges and masses. A space-time picture of the change in me hydrodynamic quantities and the electric field is obtained, and the effect of the ion mass and charge is investigated.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 66–71, February, 1978.     

准矩形截面强流相对论带状电子束的传输

提出利用准矩形截面带状电子束传输强电流.相对于目前广泛采用的椭圆形截面带状电子束,在大横纵比,即电子束的宽度(横向)远大于厚度(纵向)的情况下,其厚度沿横向更加均匀,利用冷阴极爆炸发射容易产生.该电子束利于高功率微波发生器中腔体模式的控制和束波作用效率的提高,如果利用模块化的结构还可使阴极及聚焦磁铁在宽度上的扩展更加容易.首先给出了准矩形截面带状电子束空间电荷场的典型分布,然后根据该分布和束匹配的方法对相互独立的周期会切磁铁和边聚焦磁铁分别进行了设计.其中边聚焦磁铁的磁化方向与以往的纵向不同,为横向磁化,其激励的边聚焦磁场在电子束宽边的边缘附近的梯度更大,有利于横向的束匹配.最后根据理论分析的结果进行了粒子模拟.结果表明,300keV,3kA的准矩形截面强流相对论带状电子束可以在0.163T的周期会切磁场和0.064T的横向磁化边聚焦磁场中稳定传输,电流传输效率大于98%.