Decay instability of an extraordinary em wave into electron Bernstein and electron-acoustic waves in mirror plasmas

Abstract

The parametric decay instability of an extraordinary electromagnetic wave into electron Bernstein and electron-acoustic waves in a plasma having ion temperature greater than electron temperature, is considered. Application of the present investigation to mirror devices has also been pointed out. For typical sets of parameters of the TMX-U (tandem-mirror) machine, the growth time of the instability comes out to be ≂0.07 μsec at a pump power flux of ≂10 W/cm2, and the threshold power at a few mW/cm2.