Accession Number:
ADA089180
Title:
Effect of Finite Electron Drift Velocity on the Resonant Excitation of a Nonuniform Plasma,
Descriptive Note:
Corporate Author:
CALIFORNIA UNIV LOS ANGELES PLASMA PHYSICS GROUP
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
1980-07-01
Pagination or Media Count:
32.0
Abstract:
An exact analytic solution of the external resonant excitation of a nonuniform plasma in the presence of a zero order finite electron drift is presented. The process of linear mode conversion of the long wavelength external radiation, of frequency omega, into a Langmuir wave limits the peak amplitude of the cold plasma resonance at omega omega sub p, where omega sub p is the local electron plasma frequency. The finite electron drift alters the effective group velocity of the Langmuir wave, and thus it modifies the peak amplitude of the resonance in a significant manner. For drifts toward the overdense side an amplitude enhancement is obtained, while for drifts toward the underdense side a severe quenching takes place. The effect is governed by a single scaled drift parameter, and significant modifications arise when its absolute value is greater than 1.
Descriptors:
Subject Categories:
- Plasma Physics and Magnetohydrodynamics