Excitation of Electrostatic Plasma Oscillations near the Ion Cyclotron Frequency

Abstract

Oscillations near the ion cyclotron frequency have been excited in thermal cesium and potassium plasmas by drawing current in a filament along the axis of the plasma column. The oscillations appear to be electrostatic waves propagating radially from the filament. The waves are present if the electron drift velocity exceeds about 10 times the ion thermal velocity, in agreement with the prediction of M. N. Rosenbluth. The measured phase velocity is also in agreement with the phase velocity calculated from the fluid equations.