Cyclotron Maser Radiation from an Inhomogeneous Plasma

Journal Article · Fri Nov 21 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.101.215003· OSTI ID:21179932

Cairns, R A; Vorgul, I ^[1]; Bingham, R ^[2]

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1. University of St Andrews, School of Mathematics and Statistics, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)
2. STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab, Space Science and Technology Dept, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)

Cyclotron maser radiation is important in both laboratory devices such as gyrotrons and in space physics applications to phenomena such as auroral kilometric radiation. To understand the behavior, especially in the latter case where there is generally a localized region of instability, requires an understanding of how such instabilities behave in an inhomogeneous plasma. Here we consider, for simplicity, a simple ring distribution of electrons in either a step function variation of magnetic field or a continuous gradient. In each case we show that there can exist localized regions of instability from which waves, growing in time, can be radiated outwards.

• OSTI ID: 21179932
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 101; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CYCLOTRONS
ELECTRONS
INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASERS
PLASMA INSTABILITY