Radio frequency resonator structure and diagnostic measurements for a laboratory simulation of Auroral Kilometric Radiation

Journal Article · Thu May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2856649· OSTI ID:21120394

Ronald, K; Speirs, D C; McConville, S L; Phelps, A D. R.; Robertson, C W; Whyte, C G; He, W; Gillespie, K M; Cross, A W ^[1]; Bingham, R ^[1]

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1. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance and Department of Physics, John Anderson Building, 107 Rottenrow, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)

Auroral Kilometric Radiation is emitted from regions of depleted plasma density in the Earth's polar magnetosphere. The radiation frequency is close to the local electron cyclotron frequency, polarized in the X-mode with an efficiency of {approx}1%, with power up to 1 GW. Kinetic analysis of the instability in the descending auroral flux indicated that the phenomena scaled with the cyclotron frequency. Therefore, an experimental reproduction of the auroral geometry has been created scaled to laboratory dimensions by raising the radiation frequency to the microwave range. The experiment transports a 75-85 keV electron beam through a region of increasing magnetic flux density, with a mirror ratio of up to 30. The experiments measured the mode, spectrum, power, and conversion efficiency of the emitted radiation as a function of the mirror ratio in two resonance regimes, with frequencies of 4.42 and 11.7 GHz. The microwave diagnostics and measurements will be presented in this paper.

• OSTI ID: 21120394
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2856649; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AUGMENTATION
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
FLUX DENSITY
GEOMETRY
MAGNETIC FLUX
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MIRROR RATIO
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA SIMULATION
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RESONANCE
RESONATORS
RF SYSTEMS
SPECTRA