Propagation in a warm collisional magnetoplasma enclosed in aconducting cylinder

A study is presented of the propagation of electron plasma waves in a warm collisional plasma filling a conducting cylinder and magnetized strongly in the axial direction, the plasma parameters being taken to be such that the electron-ion collision is the dominant damping process. The attenuation and phase constants are derived in suitably normalized form by using the electrodynamic method. The dispersion and attenuation characteristics for propagation in the lowest order mode in a hydrogen plasma are obtained for various values of the normalized plasma radius αω_pe/c, the electron temperature and electron density being held constant, and the characteristics are compared with those given by the usual quasi-static approximation, which is found to be valid only if αω_pe /c≲1, where α is the plasma radius, ω _pe is the plasma frequency, and c is the velocity of light in free space. The effect of the plasma frequency on the characteristics is investigated     

Generation of stable mixed-compact-toroid rings by inducing plasmacurrents in strong E rings

In the RECE-Christa device, hybrid-type compact toroid rings are generated by inducing large toroidal plasma currents I_p in strong electron rings using a thin induction coil positioned along the ring axis. Starting from field-reversal values δ_p =50-120% of the original pure fast-electron ring, the induced plasma current I_p raises δ to a maximum value of up to 240% with I_p contributing more than 50% of the total ring current. The generated hybrid compact toroid configurations appear gross-stable during the full I_p pulse length (half-amplitude width about 100 μs)     

A Raman regime free-electron laser in a partially dielectric-loadedwaveguide

A partially dielectric-loaded waveguide supports modes with phase velocity ν_ph>c/∈^1/2, where ∈ is the dielectric constant of the lining. The coupling of a fast mode (with ν_ph>c) with a slow mode (with c /∈^1/2<ν_ph<c) via a negative-energy beam mode gives rise to the explosive growth of all the three waves at the expense of the energy of the beam. The slow mode of lower frequency can be launched from an external source and can become an efficient wiggler for the generation of the fast free-electron laser mode     

Interrupting capacity of vacuum interrupters depending on thefrequency of current

Results of arc reignition voltages during current interruption of frequencies from 5.9 to 60 kHz by a short vacuum gap are presented. Measured arc reignition voltages depend on current amplitude and frequency, the values of preliminary arc current at the moment of switching on the HF current, and the discharge mode in the preceding current semiwave. Threshold amplitudes of the first semiwave of currents l_m1l and I_m1h as a function of frequency are determined. I_m1l and I_m1h divide current into three ranges to which different kinds of arc reignition voltage distribution correspond. Particularly large dispersion of reignition voltages takes place in the current range from I_m1l to I_m1h. The threshold current I_m1h is inversely proportional to frequency in the range from about 10 to 60 kHz, which is in agreement with the elaborated mathematical model     

Acoustic double layers in multispecies plasma

Particle simulation in a one-dimensional bounded system is used to examine the formation of acoustic double layers in the presence of two ion species. Double-layer formation depends critically on the details of the distribution functions of the supporting ion populations, and their relative drifts with respect to the electrons. The effect of having two ion components, an H⁺ and an O⁺ beam, on double-layer evolution from ion acoustic turbulence driven by an electron drift relative to the H⁺ beam of ≈0.5u _e, where uu_e is the electron thermal speed, is examined. The ratio of ion drifts is taken to be consistent with acceleration by a quasi-static auroral potential drop (i.e. V _H/V_O=√M_O/ M_H=4.0). Acoustic double layers form in either ion species on the time scale τ≈100ω_ps^-1, where ω_ps is the ion plasma frequency for species `s' and s=H or O, and for drifts relative to the electrons lower than that required for double layer formation in simulations of single ion component plasma     

The short vacuum arc. I. Experimental investigations

High-current vacuum arcs drawn between commercial radial-magnetic field, chromium-copper contacts were studied by high-speed photography. The aim of the investigation was to study phenomena of relevance to high-current interruption, such as arc constriction and arc motion. The arcs were drawn at contact opening speeds typical of commercial devices, are duration being 10 ms or less. The arcs were `short' for much of their lifetime, and strong electrode-discharge coupling could be expected. Such arcs are also of principal interest. Arc behavior was found to be strongly influenced by the gap length d and the arc current I. No diffuse mode was observed at d less the d_min≈4 mm and at instantaneous currents I above I_max±25 kA. The diffuse discharge mode was assumed more readily when d was large. At d below 2 mm, the arcs could not be moved by a magnetic field. Increasing both I and d resulted in an increase of the probability and duration of arc motion and of the arc path length. Arc speed was often irregular, showing that arc motion is also affected by parameters other than the purely electrodynamic ones     

二维有摩擦颗粒体系振动态密度与玻色峰的研究

利用颗粒离散元方法,研究了由2048个有摩擦的单分散圆盘颗粒组成的体系在各向同性压缩条件下,颗粒摩擦系数μ对颗粒体系结构与振动特性的影响.结果表明:固定压强下,随μ的增大,区分德拜标度与态密度平台的过渡频率ω*与玻色峰频率ωBP均向低频移动,玻色峰高度D(ωBP)/ωBP逐渐增加.主要原因是μ增大导致颗粒体系无序程度增加(平均配位数减小)而在ωω*处出现了大量额外模式.模式分析表明:低频(ω1.0)模式主要是以平动为主的混合模式,中频(1.0ω4.0)模式主要是以平动为主的混合局域化模式,高频(ω4.0)振动模式几乎为纯转动的局域化模式;并且随μ的增大,低频下平动模式更加局域化,同时低频转动模式的贡献也逐渐增加,暗示在高摩擦系数下低频转动模式产生更重要的影响.     

Computation of the electric and magnetic fields induced in a plasmacreated by ionization lasting a finite interval of time

S.C. Wilks et al. (1988) showed that when an infinite expanse of gas, carrying a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave, is instantly ionized, the initial wave is frequency upshifted. This phenomenon of frequency upconversion through flash ionization gives rise to steady-state transmitted and reflected electromagnetic waves and to a time-independent magnetic field. The case in which the final state of ionization is achieved not instantly but in a finite turn-on time, 0⩽t⩽t 0, which is followed by the steady state, is studied. It is shown that the electric field is obtained from the one-dimensional Helmholtz equation, d²F(t)/dt² +ω₀²g(t)F( t)=0, if electrons are born at rest when they are created during ionization. As a result, the instantaneous frequency of the upshifted radiation is ω(t)=√g(t). The electric field can be solved exactly for specific choices of g(t). It is solved using WKB approximations for arbitrary g(t). The magnetic field is then found by integrating Faraday's law. It is found that the steady-state electric field amplitude depends on the steady-state value o f g(t) but does not depend on the ionization time t₀. Conversely, the static magnetic field amplitude decreases with increasing turn-on time     

Pressure limits for the vacuum arc deposition technique

Observations of the cathodic copper plasma expansion at low pressures of He, Ar, and SF₆ showed that, for background gas mass densities of ρ_g=1 to 4×10^-4 kg/m ³ and higher, the plasma and gas are separated into two volumes. A shock wave acts as a boundary between the two volumes. The boundary attains a stationary position once its expansion velocity decreases to the velocity of sound in the background gas. This position corresponds to a distance R_c to the cathode that agrees with a snowplow expansion model, giving R_c ^βf=E_r, where f is a function of the arc current and background gas characteristics, E _r is the erosion rate of the cathode, and β varies between 2.1 and 2.5. The interaction model is based on kinetic energy exchanges between two gas-like volumes without other energy losses. A maximum pressure limit for vacuum arc deposition is set for ρ_g /I=2 to 9×10^-6 kg/m³ A     

Initial stage of discharge current growth in a triggered vacuum gap

The dynamics of light emission accompanying the initial stage of electric discharge in a substantially undervoltaged vacuum gap was studied with a knock-down model using high-speed photorecording. Voltage across the gap was maintained within the range of 0.5-5 kV, which corresponded to the minimum operating voltage of vacuum-triggered gaps. It was found that front layers of a plasma cloud near a cathode, formed by a firing pulse, scattered at a speed of (5-8)×10⁶ cm/s. During firing, a channel directed to the opposite electrode was formed from the plasma cloud near the cathode. It was found that the average switch-on delay time of the triggered vacuum gap is ~d(1+h/d) I_f^-α, where d is the interelectrode gap length, h is the trigger assembly penetration height, and I_f is the firing current     

Oscillating two-stream instability of a plasma wave in a plasmachannel

A long wavelength Langmuir wave (ω₀, k₀), propagating through a parabolic plasma density channel, can decay into a low-frequency mode (ω,k&oarr;) and two short wavelength Langmuir wave sidebands (ν_1,2,k&oarr;_1,2 ), via two-stream instability where ω_1,2=ω∓ω₀ and k&oarr;_1,2=k&oarr;∓k&oarr;₀. Depending on the mode number n, the growth rate maximizes in the range γ_max≃0.1ω_pi-0.4ω_pi for the range of k from 0.1(ω_pi/c_s) to 0.2(ω_pi/c_x) for ν₀~ν_th where ν₀ and ν_th are the oscillatory and thermal velocities of electrons, ω_pi is the ion plasma frequency on the axis, and c_s is the sound speed. The growth rate increases with the width a of the plasma density channel. It decreases with the mode number. The instability may be relevant to laser based charged particle accelerators     

A revised theoretical model of vacuum arc spot plasmas

The quasi-stationary hemispherical expansion of the cathodic plasma in vacuum arcs can be modeled with hydrodynamic two-fluid equations. In any case, the state of the plasma is determined by the only variable (I/r)^2/5 (with current I , distance r). In order to avoid some deficiencies of the model (as published) and to investigate more carefully the dependence of the plasma parameters on the arc current, the known analytic solution to the problem is improved by taking into consideration the variability of the Coulomb logarithm and the dependence of the boundary conditions on I. These effects are treated separately. Examples are used to illustrate the new results, with particular emphasis on ion acceleration. The influence of the above factors turns out to be rather unimportant. Quantitatively, they cause some shifts, but no qualitative change of the basic behavior of the plasma is seen     

Performance characteristics of a high-power X-bandtwo-cavity gyroklystron

The operating characteristics of a two-cavity X-band gyroklystron experiment are reported. Beam voltages and currents up to 440 kV and 200 A, respectively, are generated in 1 μs pulses by a thermionic magnetron injection gun. Velocity ratios (ν_⊥ /ν_z) near one in the output cavity are used to achieve peak powers of 24 MW near 9.87 GHz. The maximum saturated efficiency of more than 33% occurs at a beam voltage of 425 kV and a current of 150 A. A large signal gain in excess of 34 dB is realized by operating the input cavity just below the start oscillation threshold. Details of tube stability and the dependence of amplification on magnetic field profile, input signal parameters, and various beam quantities are presented     

Some interruption criteria for short high-frequency vacuum arcs

If the contacts of a vacuum interrupter open shortly before a current zero, the transient recovery voltage (TRV) can cause a reignition and reestablish the arc. When the current in a diffuse vacuum arc passes through zero, there is a distinct pause before the TRV builds up (approximately 40 ns for copper). During this pause the gap carries conduction current only with an ion component which depends on dI /dt, varying between 3 A for dI/dt=60 A/μs and 60 A for dI/dt=1235 A/μs. The ion current subsequently decays in tens or hundreds of nanoseconds. It can be distinguished from the displacement current at this time by varying dV/dt, keeping the other parameters constant. Among the interruption criteria for short high-frequency vacuum arcs, dI /dt prior to current zero and initial dV/dt are the most important. High values of dI/dt are more likely to precipitate reignitions, but breakdowns can occur after lower dI/dt's if the gap has been subjected to a high current for a relatively long time (>100 μs)     

A hydrodynamic model of vacuum arc plasmas

The properties of plasmas expanding from cathode spots of vacuum arcs are calculated with a one-dimensional two-fluid model. The system of simplified hydrodynamic equations can be solved under stationary conditions using asymptotic power series. Although necessarily only an approximation, such analytical solutions prove to be advantageous compared with numerical integrations. All the plasma parameters are functions of (I/r)^2/5 (current, I: distance, r). The three forces accelerating the ions to high kinetic energies are quantitatively calculable: the electric field, the ion pressure gradient, and the electron-ion friction. The potential is decreasing towards the anode, and the residence of the plasma is negative. The ion temperature reaches only about 35% of the electron temperature. Although only asymptotic, the solution is suited to describe the arc plasma in a sufficient manner all over the expansion region     

Analysis of the deflection system for a magnetic-field-immersedmagnicon amplifier

A linear analysis of the electron-beam deflection system in a magnicon amplifier is presented. The system consists of identical cavities, one driven and the remainder passive, separated by a drift space and immersed in an axial magnetic field. The cavities contain a rotating TM₁₁₀ mode. The length of each cavity is πν _z/ω, and that of the drift space is πν_z/ω_c, where ω is the RF frequency, ω_c is the relativistic gyrofrequency in the guide field, and ν_z is the mean axial velocity of the beam electrons. The linearized electron orbits are obtained for arbitrary initial axial velocity, radial coordinate, and magnetic field. The small-signal gain and the phase shift are determined. The special case where ω_c/ω=2 has unique features and is discussed in detail. For the NRL magnicon design, a power gain of 10 dB per passive cavity is feasible. Results from numerical modeling of a magnicon with two passive cavities are presented. Operation of the output cavity at the fundamental and higher harmonics of the input drive frequency is briefly discussed     

Electron-molecule collision frequencies in SF6 inE×B fields

Electron-molecule collision frequencies in SF₆ are obtained from an equivalent gas number density method in a coaxial gap. At a given equivalent reduced electric field, the collision frequencies increase with increasing B/N     

A two-electron group model theory for radio-frequency ionization ofnoble gases with turbulent flow

Equations are derived for predicting the current-voltage characteristic curves of axial RF discharges in noble gases, with turbulent flow. The electrons are considered to be made up of two Maxwellian groups: bulk and tail electrons. The bulk electrons are described by a temperature T_b, and have kinetic energies (1/2 mv²=eV) from 0 to eV _l (eV_l=the threshold energy of the first dominant inelastic collision process). The electrons of the depressed tail of the distribution function are described by another temperature, T_t<T_b, and have (eV>eV_l). The terms in these equations correspond to the prevailing processes occurring inside the noble gas discharge. The rate coefficients given are derived, based on the two-electron group model. The effect of the high velocity flow is accounted for by the terms giving the divergence of the flux of particles in the redirection of flow in each of the continuity equations for the primary species and by adding a diffusion coefficient due to turbulence to the static discharge diffusion coefficients of the ions and metastables     

Second harmonic stimulated Raman scattering of laser radiation in aplasma

A high-power linearly polarized laser propagating through a plasma produces oscillatory electron velocity at the second harmonic due to-the ν&oarr;×B&oarr; force, This velocity couples a Langmuir wave (ω, k&oarr;) and an electromagnetic wave (ω₁, k&oarr;₁), where ω₁=ω-2ω₀ , k-2k&oarr;₀ and ω₀, k&oarr;₀ are frequency and wavenumber of the laser pump, causing second harmonic Raman scattering. The growth rate is maximum for side scattering. This process can occur above the quarter critical density, unlike the first harmonic stimulated Raman scattering which occurs below the quarter critical density