Resonant collisionless heating in a non-uniform plasma

The electron dynamics in low-pressure plasmas is non-local and collisionless [1]. Electron heating occurs due to resonant wave- particle interactions, namely, the transit and bounce resonances for non-magnetized plasmas and the ECR and transmission resonances for magnetized plasmas. The effects of resonances on the properties of non-uniform plasmas have been studied analytically and numerically using fast kinetic non- local approach [2]. A drastic enhancement of the power transfer into the plasma takes place at the bounce resonance if the non-uniformity of the density profile is accounted for [3]. The conditions of effectiveness of ECR and transmission resonance heating in magnetized ICP plasmas have been identified. Analytical expressions for plasma parameters to achieve the transmission resonances have been derived [4]. I. D. Kaganovich, O. V. Polomarov, C. E. Theodosiou and D. Economou. [1] Phys. Plasmas 11, 2399 (2004). [2] ``Revisiting the anomalous rf field penetration into a warm plasma'' and ``Resonant effects in a non-uniform ICP plasma'' submitted to special issue of IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.(2005). [3] ``Enhanced collisionless heating in a non-uniform plasma'' and [4] ``Effectiveness of ECR and transmission resonant heating in ICP plasmas,'' Phys. Plasmas, accepted (2005).