Spontaneous Emission near the Electron Plasma Frequency in a Plasma with a Runaway Electron Tail

Abstract

Spontaneous emission of radiation with frequencies near the electron plasma frequency is studied for a plasma which consists of both thermal and runaway electrons. It is found that a substantial enhancement of the spontaneous radiation intensity can occur in this frequency regime via a Cherenkov resonance with the runaway electrons. Numerical analysis indicates that, for reasonable estimates of densities and energies, the plasma-frequency radiation can attain levels greater than the peak thermal emission at the second gyroharmonic.