A magnetized plasma experiment to study non-linear microwave interactions

Following a series of laboratory experiments^1,2 simulating natural plasma instabilities³, a larger apparatus is being constructed for experiments on nonlinear coupling between microwaves in plasma, relevant to laser-plasma, ionospheric, and magnetically confined fusion plasma environments. Normalized intensities approaching those used in some recent laser plasma interactions can be generated using flexible microwave amplifiers, whilst the relatively accessible plasma relevant to coupling of microwave frequency signals will enable the use of insertion diagnostics in addition to stand-off analysis of the EM signals. The linear plasma experiment will be magnetized at up to 0.08T, an RF helicon source will be used to generate a dense, large, cool plasma with high ionization fraction (n_e up to 10¹⁹m^-3 has been reported in other helicon experiments). The paper will present the proposed apparatus and consider its application to space relevant phenomena.

[1] S.L. McConville, et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion, 50, 2008, 074010,

[2] K. Ronald, et al., Phys. Plasmas, 15, 2008, 056503,

[3] D.C. Speirs, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 113, 2014, 155002.