Sheath Waves on Conductors in Plasma

Abstract

Summary form only given. The ion is the familiar region of low electron density that exists adjacent to any material surface immersed in a plasma. Less familiar is the fact that, when the material surface is a conductor, the becomes a channel for guided propagating parallel to the surface. In the frequency domain, these sheath waves have remarkable properties of low-attenuation passbands, high-attenuation stopbands, and striking effects caused by plasma anisotropy. This paper reviews recent progress in wave research, with emphasis on ionospheric tether experiments and implications for large structures in space.