Dispersion and Attenuation of Whistler Waves in a Finite Plasma

Effects of finite plasma dimension on the whistler wave propagation in a dense plasma (ω ² _p ≫ω ² _c ) are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Dispersion relation for whistler waves in a cylindrical plasma of radius a is solved and compared with the infinite plane wave solution. For \(\omega_{p}a/c{\lesssim}10\), the finite size effects become so significant that, below half the electron cyclotron frequency ω _c , the phase velocity and the damping rate increase in comparison with the infinite case. Measured dispersion and attenuation are well described by the finite plasma theory.