Excitation of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves by a power-modulated transversely excited atmosphere (TEA) CO2 laser

Abstract

Electrostatic plasma waves are excited in a laboratory plasma by means of the ponderomotive force of a high-power, power-modulated transversely excited atmosphere (TEA) CO2 laser beam [W. W. Duley, CO2 Lasers (Academic, New York, 1976), Chap. 2.5]. The strengths of the magnetic field, for which the plasma waves are excited selectively, and the group velocity of the excited plasma waves are consistent with the dispersion relation of the electrostatic ion cyclotron wave. This wave-excitation experiment gives proof to the principles of the driven scattering plasma diagnostics which has been proposed as a method for the ion temperature measurement of high-temperature plasmas.