Resonance Cones in the Field Pattern of a Radio Frequency Probe in a Warm Anisotropic Plasma

Abstract

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the angular distribution of the electric field of a short radio frequency probe in a plasma in a magnetic field is described. The field is observed to become very large along a resonance cone whose axis is parallel to the static magnetic field and whose opening angle is observed to vary with incident probe frequency, cyclotron frequency, and plasma frequency in agreement with simple cold plasma dielectric theory. The relationship of these cones to the limiting phase- and group-velocity cones which appear in the theory of plane wave propagation is discussed. The addition of electron thermal velocities (warm plasma effects) is examined in the limit of a large static magnetic field. A fine structure appears inside the cones and is shown to result from an interference between a fast electromagnetic wave and a slow plasma wave. This interference structure is observed experimentally and measurements of the angular interference spacing are shown to agree with the warm plasma theory. The use of measurements of the resonance cones and structure as a diagnostic tool to determine the plasma density and electron temperature in a plasma in a magnetic field is discussed.