Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Motley, R. W.
• Hooke, W. M.
• Anania, G.

Titel

Formation of Thermal Eddies during rf Heating of Plasma

Ist Teil von

• Physical review letters, 1979-12, Vol.43 (24), p.1799-1802

Erscheinungsjahr

1979

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The generation of plasma surface distortions by thermal eddies arising upon moderate-power (approximately 1-kW) lower-hybrid wave excitation in a linear plasma column is demonstrated. A twin phased waveguide exciter was used to excite electrostatic waves in a cold afterflow argon plasma formed by an RF ring discharge in a strong magnetic field, and Langmuir probes were used to investigate wave reflection on the surface of the plasma. The observed increase in wave reflectance with time is attributed to a vertical shift of the plasma layer closest to the waveguide. Measurements of the electron temperature, space potential and equipotential contours reveal the nature of this surface distortion as a surface undulation driven by vortex motion, which is in turn driven by asymmetric electron heating. Implications of thermal eddies in toroidal and linear plasmas are discussed.