Observation of an Ultracold Plasma Instability

Journal Article · Fri Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.101.195002· OSTI ID:21179895

Zhang, X L; Fletcher, R S; Rolston, S L ^[1]

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1. Joint Quantum Institute and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)

We present the first observation of an instability in an expanding ultracold plasma. We observe periodic emission of electrons from an ultracold plasma in weak, crossed magnetic and electric fields, and a strongly perturbed electron density distribution in electron time-of-flight projection images. We identify this instability as a high-frequency electron drift instability due to the coupling between the electron drift wave and electron cyclotron harmonic, which has large wave numbers corresponding to wavelengths close to the electron gyroradius.

• OSTI ID: 21179895
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 19; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.195002; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CYCLOTRONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON DRIFT
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRONS
PERIODICITY
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
WAVELENGTHS