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Parametric instability of the sheath plasma resonance. Interim report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7285217

A large-amplitude rf pump signal is applied to a wire antenna in a magnetic field free plasma. When the pump frequency ..omega../sub 0/ corresponds to twice the sheath-plasma resonance frequency ..omega../sub r/, and the pump amplitude exceeds a threshold value, spontaneous excitation of the signal at ..omega../sub r/ = ..omega../sub 0//2 is observed. The process is explained as a periodic variation of the sheath thickness causing the sheath-plasma resonance to become parametrically unstable. The rf field pressure can induce density relaxation oscillations near the ion plasma frequency which are observed to modulate the instability spectrum strongly. (GRA)

Research Organization:
California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Dept. of Physics
OSTI ID:
7285217
Report Number(s):
AD/A-006489
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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