Thermally excited Trivelpiece–Gould modes as a pure electron plasma temperature diagnostic

Thermally excited plasma modes are observed in trapped, near-thermal-equilibrium pure electron plasmas over a temperature range of 0.05 < kT < 5 eV. The modes are excited and damped by thermal fluctuations in both the plasma and the receiver electronics. The thermal emission spectra together with a plasma-antenna coupling coefficient calibration uniquely determine the plasma (and load) temperature. This calibration is obtained from the mode spectra themselves when the receiver-generated noise absorption is measurable; or from separate wave reflection/absorption measurements; or from kinetic theory. This nondestructive temperature diagnostic agrees well with standard diagnostics, and may be useful for expensive species such as antimatter.