Electron heating caused by the ion-acoustic decay instability in a finite-length system

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.864877· OSTI ID:6523882

Rambo, P W; Woo, W; DeGroot, J S; Mizuno, K

The ion-acoustic decay instability is investigated for a finite-length plasma with density somewhat below the cutoff density of the electromagnetic driver (napprox.0.7n/sub c/). For this regime, the heating in a very long system can overpopulate the electron tail and cause linear saturation of the low phase velocity electron plasma waves. For a short system, the instability is nonlinearly saturated at larger amplitude by ion trapping. Absorption can be significantly increased by the large-amplitude ion waves. These results compare favorably with microwave experiments.

• Research Organization: Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, California 95616
• OSTI ID: 6523882
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 27:9; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
AMPLITUDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DECAY INSTABILITY
HEATING
INSTABILITY
ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
ION WAVES
IONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
SATURATION
SIMULATION
TRAPPING