A survey of mode-conversion transparency windows between external electromagnetic waves and electron Bernstein waves for various plasma slab boundaries

Abstract

For the plasma slab boundary with monotonically increasing density profile along the x axis and the magnetic field along the z axis, both Nz and Ny components of the refractive index are parallel to the plasma slab and are conserved in the mode-conversion process between the vacuum transverse electromagnetic (TEM) waves and the electron Bernstein (B) waves. Information of Nz and Ny is sufficient to identify the waves uniquely both for TEM waves and B waves coupled by mode conversion. Furthermore, the wave differential equation which governs the mode-conversion process can be written in the normalized form with a few numbers of the normalized parameters and variables for the linear density profile. Thus, the mode-conversion transparency window, which is presented as a contour plot of the mode-conversion rate versus the Nz–Ny plane, can be categorized for the pair of parameters of the density scale length normalized to the wavelength in vacuum Ln/λ0 and the frequency to the cyclotron frequency ω/Ω.A survey of the transparency windows for various parameter ranges of Ln/λ0 and ω/Ω is presented. The windows are categorized into four types. The frosted type at the steepest density gradient region has a broad transparency profile but even the peak is not completely transparent. The perpendicular-X type at the next steep density gradient region also has a broad transparency profile with a completely transparent peak by the perpendicularly propagating extraordinary waves. The OXB type at the gentle density gradient region has a pair of completely transparent sharp peaks by the obliquely propagating ordinary waves at the optimal propagation angles with Nz = ±N∥opt and Ny = 0. The fourth is the g1 type in the intermediate density gradient region between the above two cases, which has two completely transparent peaks in the window. Finally, a simulation to examine the applicability of the survey to experiments is made using a test density profile, which elucidates key points for the application of the survey.