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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Contamination Effects On Fixed-Bias Langmuir Probes, C.T. Steigies, Aroh Barjatya
Contamination Effects On Fixed-Bias Langmuir Probes, C.T. Steigies, Aroh Barjatya
Publications
Langmuir probes are standard instruments for plasma density measurements on many sounding rockets. These probes can be operated in swept-bias as well as in fixed-bias modes. In swept-bias Langmuir probes, contamination effects are frequently visible as a hysteresis between consecutive up and down voltage ramps. This hysteresis, if not corrected, leads to poorly determined plasma densities and temperatures. With a properly chosen sweep function, the contamination parameters can be determinedfromthemeasurementsandcorrectplasmaparameterscanthenbedetermined.Inthispaper, we study the contamination effects on fixed-bias Langmuir probes, where no hysteresis type effect is seen in the data. Even though the contamination is not evident from the measurements, it …
Particle‐In‐Cell Simulation Of Incoherent Scatter Radar Spectral Distortions Related To Beam‐Plasma Interactions In The Auroral Ionosphere, M. A. Diaz, M. Oppenheim, J. L. Semeter, M. Zettergren
Particle‐In‐Cell Simulation Of Incoherent Scatter Radar Spectral Distortions Related To Beam‐Plasma Interactions In The Auroral Ionosphere, M. A. Diaz, M. Oppenheim, J. L. Semeter, M. Zettergren
Publications
An electrostatic parallel particle‐in‐cell (EPPIC) code that allows for particle beam injections and multiple boundary conditions is used to investigate the beam‐plasma interaction and its manifestations in the incoherent scatter (IS) spectrum. Specifically, the code is used to investigate anomalous enhancements in the ion acoustic line through the destabilization of the plasma by injection (or precipitation) of low‐energy electron beams. This enhancement of the ion acoustic line is a form of IS distortion commonly observed in the vicinity of auroral arcs called the naturally enhanced ion‐acoustic line (NEIAL). Simulations confirm the parametric decay of Langmuir waves as a plausible mechanism, …
Ion Bernstein Waves Driven By Two Transverse Flow Layers, Mark Anthony Reynolds, G. Ganguli
Ion Bernstein Waves Driven By Two Transverse Flow Layers, Mark Anthony Reynolds, G. Ganguli
Publications
The interaction between two narrow layers of E3B flow is investigated, along with their stability properties. The mode frequencies, growth rates, and eigenfunctions are calculated. It is found that the instability due to a single layer is robust to the inclusion of a second layer. Specifically, when the separation between the layers is on the order of the ion-cyclotron radius, there is strong coupling between the two layers and the second layer is destabilizing. In addition, when the flow velocities are in opposite directions a wide variety of modes is possible, including near-zero-frequency modes, resulting in broadband structure in both …
Velocity–Space Drag And Diffusion In A Model, Two-Dimensional Plasma, Mark Anthony Reynolds, B.D. Fried, G.J. Morales
Velocity–Space Drag And Diffusion In A Model, Two-Dimensional Plasma, Mark Anthony Reynolds, B.D. Fried, G.J. Morales
Publications
The quasilinear fluctuation integral is calculated for a two-dimensional, unmagnetized plasma ~composed of charged rods!, and is expressed in terms of Fokker–Planck coefficients. It is found that in two dimensions, the enhanced fluctuations generated by fast electrons lead to anomalously large transport coefficients. In particular, the effect of a small population of fast electrons is only weakly dependent on their density. In three dimensions, the effect of fast electrons is masked by the dominant approximation, but higher-order terms describe processes similar to those in two dimensions, and these terms can become significant for weakly stable plasmas. The differences between two …
High-Frequency Fluctuations Of A Modulated, Helical Electron Beam, Mark Anthony Reynolds
High-Frequency Fluctuations Of A Modulated, Helical Electron Beam, Mark Anthony Reynolds
Publications
The high-frequency electromagnetic field generated by a density-modulated, helical electron beam propagating in a magnetized plasma is calculated. The magnetic fluctuations are found to exhibit spatially localized ~evanescent! resonances at harmonics of the electron-cyclotron frequency, whose width is determined by the pitch angle of the beam, and whose existence is a consequence of the helical geometry. In addition, electrostatic modes are radiated near the hybrid frequencies, and electromagnetic modes are radiated above the upper-hybrid frequency. The predicted frequency spectrum and mode structure in configuration space are in good agreement with experimental observations of discrete emission lines at the electron-cyclotron harmonics.