Parametric excitation of azimuthally non-symmetric surface waves propagating in metal waveguides filled with isotropic plasma

Abstract

The paper is devoted to developing the theory of parametric excitation of electromagnetic waves propagating across the axis of symmetry in cylindrical waveguides partially filled with isotropic plasma. The problem is studied theoretically in the fluid approximation and expressions for the wave fields are derived from Maxwell’s equations. The azimuthally non-symmetric electromagnetic waves propagate in the form of wave packets which are approximately described by the main azimuthal harmonic and two nearest satellite temporal harmonics. The boundary condition, which is cast in a nonlinear form, describes the flowing of a surface current on the plasma interface. This condition allows one to derive an infinite set of equations for harmonics of the tangential electric field of azimuthally non-symmetric surface waves. The dependence of the growth rate of the parametric instability of these waves on parameters of the plasma-filled waveguide and alternating electric field is studied both analytically and numerically.