Generation of higher electron cyclotron frequency harmonics in plasma with a beam

Abstract

We examine nonlinear excitation of the higher electron-cyclotron frequency harmonics for waves propagating perpendicular to an external uniform magnetic field in a Maxwell plasma for the case of low-density electron beam passage through the plasma. It is shown that the nonlinear excitation mechanism leads to the possibility of generating cyclotron harmonics for plasma parameters for which generation does not occur from the linear theory viewpoint. The nonlinear cyclotron harmonic generation increments are calculated for nonlinear scattering by the beam and plasma electrons of the high frequency longitudinal waves excited in the plasma by the beam.