Observation of sheath excitation of electrostatic waves and ion bursts in a plasma
- 1 November 1973
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Fluids
- Vol. 16 (11) , 1946-1952
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1694239
Abstract
A potential pulse applied to the end plate of a plasma column in a Q machine excites a high velocity electrostatic plasma mode and releases ions from the adjacent sheath. Above a critical pulse height (eV 0 ≫ k T) bursts of ions are launched which had been trapped in the potential troughs at the Q-machine end plates. The ions acquire a fraction of the pulse voltage and the bursts broaden in accord with an ion thermal spreading as they move down the column. When the electrostatic mode reaches the other end plate, the ions trapped in the sheath are also launched sending ions streaming back toward the initial plate. Ion acoustic pulses and ion acoustic resonances are also observed under certain conditions.Keywords
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