Instabilities in neutral and non-neutral plasmas
The objective of the research reported herein was to develop theories and conduct numerical investigations of some specific plasma instabilities. This thesis consists of two distinct parts-parametric instabilities in non-neutral plasma (the first part) and drift instabilities in neutral plasmas (the second part). Chapter 1 presents a discussion of the historical background in experiments and theoretical development of non-neutral plasmas related to the free electron laser (a new, powerful and coherent source of electromagnetic radiation). In Chapter 2, an analysis of the parametric excitation of fast and slow space-charge waves in a cylindrical metallic waveguide filled with relativistic beam electrons is presented. The pump wave in the laboratory reference frame consists of a static, spatially periodic axial electric field. Formulas are derived for the temporal growth rate and frequency of the backscattered fast space-charge wave in both the laboratory and beam frames. The effects of a uniform axial magnetic field of arbitrary magnitude on the amplitude gain and frequency enhancement are studied. In Chapter 3, parametric decay of a longitudinal electrostatic pump wave into two space-charge waves in a cylindrical metallic waveguide partially filled with relativistic beam electrons is analyzed. The dependence of the amplitude gain factor and frequency enhancement on the ratio of beam radius to waveguide radius is studied numerically. In Chapter 4, theoretical determination of the dispersion curve and electrostatic potential for drift waves in a quadrupole plasma is carried out. Linear theory is employed to derive and solve numerically an equation for the eigenvalue (frequency {omega}) and the eigenfunction (electrostatic potential) as a function of the distance along a magnetic field line for each given value of the axial wave number k{sub z}.
- Research Organization:
- Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5018785
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
AMPLITUDES
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
DRIFT INSTABILITY
EIGENVALUES
FREE ELECTRON LASERS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
ION WAVES
LASERS
MATHEMATICS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PARAMETRIC INSTABILITIES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA WAVES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
WAVEGUIDES