Abstract
Experiments are reported showing the plasma potential response when a step voltage is applied over the plasma column between the two plasma sources in a triple plasma machine. The time resolution is sufficient to resolve potential variations caused essentially by the electron motion, and two independent probe methods are used to obtain this time resolution. Depending on the initial conditions two different responses were observed on the time scale of the electron motion. When the initial ion density varies along the plasma column and has a local minimum (that is, forms an ion density cavity), the applied potential drop becomes distributed over the cavity after a few electron transit times. Later the profile steepens to a double layer on the time scale of the ion motion. The width of the cavity is comparable to the length of the plasma column. When the initial density is axially uniform, most of the potential drop instead concentrates to a narrow region at the low potential end of the plasma column after a few electron transit times. On the time scale of the ion motion this potential drop begins to propagate into the plasma as a double layer. The results obtained are consistent with
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Citation Formats
Bohm, M.
Experimental observations of anomalous potential drops over ion density cavities.
Sweden: N. p.,
1991.
Web.
Bohm, M.
Experimental observations of anomalous potential drops over ion density cavities.
Sweden.
Bohm, M.
1991.
"Experimental observations of anomalous potential drops over ion density cavities."
Sweden.
@misc{etde_10142651,
title = {Experimental observations of anomalous potential drops over ion density cavities}
author = {Bohm, M}
abstractNote = {Experiments are reported showing the plasma potential response when a step voltage is applied over the plasma column between the two plasma sources in a triple plasma machine. The time resolution is sufficient to resolve potential variations caused essentially by the electron motion, and two independent probe methods are used to obtain this time resolution. Depending on the initial conditions two different responses were observed on the time scale of the electron motion. When the initial ion density varies along the plasma column and has a local minimum (that is, forms an ion density cavity), the applied potential drop becomes distributed over the cavity after a few electron transit times. Later the profile steepens to a double layer on the time scale of the ion motion. The width of the cavity is comparable to the length of the plasma column. When the initial density is axially uniform, most of the potential drop instead concentrates to a narrow region at the low potential end of the plasma column after a few electron transit times. On the time scale of the ion motion this potential drop begins to propagate into the plasma as a double layer. The results obtained are consistent with those from numerical simulations with similar boundary conditions. Further experiments are necessary to get conclusive insight into the voltage supporting capability of an ion density cavity. (au) (34 refs.).}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1991}
month = {Aug}
}
title = {Experimental observations of anomalous potential drops over ion density cavities}
author = {Bohm, M}
abstractNote = {Experiments are reported showing the plasma potential response when a step voltage is applied over the plasma column between the two plasma sources in a triple plasma machine. The time resolution is sufficient to resolve potential variations caused essentially by the electron motion, and two independent probe methods are used to obtain this time resolution. Depending on the initial conditions two different responses were observed on the time scale of the electron motion. When the initial ion density varies along the plasma column and has a local minimum (that is, forms an ion density cavity), the applied potential drop becomes distributed over the cavity after a few electron transit times. Later the profile steepens to a double layer on the time scale of the ion motion. The width of the cavity is comparable to the length of the plasma column. When the initial density is axially uniform, most of the potential drop instead concentrates to a narrow region at the low potential end of the plasma column after a few electron transit times. On the time scale of the ion motion this potential drop begins to propagate into the plasma as a double layer. The results obtained are consistent with those from numerical simulations with similar boundary conditions. Further experiments are necessary to get conclusive insight into the voltage supporting capability of an ion density cavity. (au) (34 refs.).}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1991}
month = {Aug}
}