Observation of Large Arrays of Plasma Filaments in Air Breakdown by 1.5-MW 110-GHz Gyrotron Pulses
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 167 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
We report the observation of two-dimensional plasma filamentary arrays with more than 100 elements generated during breakdown of air at atmospheric pressure by a focused Gaussian beam from a 1.5-MW, 110-GHz gyrotron operating in 3-{mu}s pulses. Each element is a plasma filament elongated in the electric field direction and regularly spaced about one-quarter wavelength apart in the plane perpendicular to the electric field. The development of the array is explained as a result of diffraction of the beam around the filaments, leading to the sequential generation of high intensity spots, at which new filaments are created, about a quarter wavelength upstream from each existing filament. Electromagnetic wave simulations corroborate this explanation and show very good correlation to the observed pattern of filaments.
- OSTI ID:
- 21020980
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.035003; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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