Wave propagation and absorption simulations for helicon sources

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873161· OSTI ID:664689

Mouzouris, Y; Scharer, J E ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706 (United States)

A two-dimensional (2-D), finite-difference computer code is developed to examine helicon antenna coupling, wave propagation, collisionless Landau, and collisional heating mechanisms. The code calculates the electromagnetic wave fields and power absorption in an inhomogeneous, cold, collisional plasma. The current distribution of the launching antenna, which provides the full antenna spectra, is included in the model. An iterative solution that incorporates warm plasma thermal effects has been added to the code to examine the contribution of collisionless (Landau) wave absorption by electrons. Detailed studies of the wave fields and electron heating profiles at low magnetic fields (B{sub 0}{lt}100thinspG), where both Trivelpiece{endash}Gould (TG) and helicon (H) modes are present, are discussed. The effects of the applied uniform magnetic field (B{sub 0}=10{endash}1000thinspG), 2-D (r,z) density profiles (n{sub e0}=10{sup 11}{endash}10{sup 13}thinspcm{sup {minus}3}), neutral gas pressures of 1{endash}10 mTorr and the antenna spectrum on collisional and collisionless wave field solutions and power absorption are investigated. Cases in which the primarily electrostatic (TG) surface wave dominates the heating and the power is absorbed near the edge region and cases in which the propagating helicon wave transports and deposits its energy in the core plasma region are examined. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 664689
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 5; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
COMPUTER CODES
COUPLING
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
HELICON WAVES
ION TEMPERATURE
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA WAVES
POWER
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WAVE PROPAGATION