PLASMA FORMATION DURING SOLID-BODY IRRADIATION BY MICROWAVES AND ITS APPLICATION FOR LOCALIZING THE ENERGY INPUT

Problems associated with the thresholds for plasma production (and con nected with it, the nonlinearity of microwave energy release) during i rradiation of complex metal-dielectric targets by microwaves in a deep vacuum or in a high-pressure gas were studied. The discovered effect of the low threshold for plasma formation, for which no adequate model exists, may find a number of applications, in particular, in quasi-st ationary current generation, gas-discharge rocket engines and microwav e soldering.