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Propagation of electromagnetically generated wake fields in inhomogeneous magnetized plasmas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2002

MARTIN SERVIN
Affiliation:
Department of Plasma Physics, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
GERT BRODIN
Affiliation:
Department of Plasma Physics, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Abstract

Generation of wake fields by a short electromagnetic pulse in a plasma with an inhomogeneous background magnetic field and density profile is considered, and a wave equation is derived. Transmission and reflection coefficients are calculated in a medium with sharp discontinuities. Particular attention is focused on examples where the longitudinal part of the electromagnetic field is amplified for the transmitted wave. Furthermore, it is noted that the wake field can propagate out of the plasma and thereby provide information about the electron density profile. A method for reconstructing the background density profile from a measured wake field spectrum is proposed and a numerical example is given.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2002 Cambridge University Press

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