Observation of Large Arrays of Plasma Filaments in Air Breakdown by 1.5-MW 110-GHz Gyrotron Pulses

Journal Article · Fri Jan 25 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.035003· OSTI ID:21020980

Hidaka, Yoshiteru; Choi, E M; Mastovsky, I; Shapiro, M A; Sirigiri, J R; Temkin, R J ^[1]

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1. 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, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 100; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BREAKDOWN
CORRELATIONS
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GHZ RANGE 100-1000
PLASMA
PLASMA FILAMENT
PULSES
SIMULATION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WAVELENGTHS