Nonlinear wave interaction in a plasma column

Abstract

Two particular cases of nonlinear wave interaction in a plasma column were investigated. The frequencies of the waves were on the order of magnitude of the electron plasma frequency, and ion motion was neglected. The nonlinear coupling of slow waves on a plasma column was studied by means of cold plasma theory, and the case of a plasma column surrounded by an infinite dielectric in the absence of a magnetic field was also examined. Nonlinear scattering from a plasma column in an electromagnetic field having it's magnetic field parallel to the axis of the column was investigated. Some experimental results on mode conversion in the presence of loss are presented along with some observations of nonlinear scattering, The effect of the earth's magnetic field and of discharge symmetry on the radiation pattern are discussed.