Space Charge and Ponderomotive Force Effects in Interaction of High-Power Microwave With Plasma

Abstract

The interaction between a high-power microwave beam and a collisionless unmagnetized plasma is investigated by taking into account the ponderomotive force and space charge effects. The electromagnetic wave equation coupled with Poisson and momentum transfer equations are solved for obtaining the space charge field and plasma density profiles. It is shown that the increase of microwave energy flux causes steepening of the electron density profiles, sawtooth lines in the curves of space charge field, and modulation of wavelength. In addition, the effect of wave frequency, initial electron density and electron temperature on space charge field, and electron density profiles are studied. It is indicated that the behavior of space charge field is very much influenced by the initial electron density. Furthermore, the result of the research shows that the increase of the electron temperature and microwave frequency cause the decrease of steepening of the electron density profiles.