PLASMA ACCELERATION BY A QUASISTATIC RF ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENT

Technical Report · Wed Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4832448

Reboul, T T; Gordon, G D; Swartz, G A

The work described covers both theoretical and experimental phases of the acceIeration of plasma by a quasistatic r-f electric field gradient. Theoretical studies indicate that a plasma will be accelerated toward the low- field region if the applied frequency is greater than a critical frequency of the plasma, and toward the high-field region if the frequency is less than the critical frequency. The critical frequency is a function of ion density and is equaI to the electron plasma frequency for a plasma slab with the r-f field perpendicular to its face. Acceleration and deceleration of plasma were observed experimentally. The observed acceleration is consistent with the theoretical predictions. A tenuous mercury plasma (critical frequency less thand the applied frequency of 140 Mc) was accelerated from 5 x 10(sup 5) to 25 x 10(sup 5) cm/sec as the maximum electric field was increased from zero to l70 v/cm. Denser plasmas were decelerated in the same field. (auth)

• Research Organization: Radio Corp. of America. Astro-Electronic Products Div., Princeton, N.J.; Radio Corp. of America. RCA Labs. Div., Princeton, N.J. Page(s): 16
• NSA Number: NSA-16-001271
• OSTI ID: 4832448
• Report Number(s): AFOSR-TN-60-997; AD-255041
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCELERATORS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
ELECTRON BEAMS
FREQUENCY
ION BEAMS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MERCURY
PLASMA
SPACE APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
VELOCITY