Excitation of lower hybrid waves in a finite plasma

Abstract

A computer simulation study of the launching of lower hybrid waves by external sources and their propagation in a finite but homogeneous plasma slab is presented. The study makes use of a two and one-half dimensional electrostatic particle code developed for simulation of bounded plasma. A number of antenna configurations are considered: a point source, two finite-length capacitor plates, and a phased array of capacitor plates. When the oscillating frequency does not match a bounded plasma resonance, one can observe resonance cones, energy absorption at the plasma surface, ion cyclotron modulation of the source, and energetic ions, depending on the parameters chosen. The excitation of a bounded plasma resonance is also considered. The nonlinear evolution of the resonance shows that wave-particle interactions and ponderomotive force effects play an important role. The possibility of controlling the electron temperature profile is discussed.