SELF-FOCUSING OF SURFACE-WAVES IN A CYLINDRICAL PLASMA WAVE-GUIDE

Self-consistent nonlinear changes of plasma parameters and characteris tics of electromagnetic guided waves are studied with regard to the ef fect of self-focusing and waveguided channel formation in a cylindrica l plasma waveguide. Besides the nonlinearity due to the ponderomotive force action usually involved, ionization nonlinearity specified for d ifferent regimes of particle loss mechanisms is considered. An azimuth ally symmetric electromagnetic surface wave is the guided mode that fo rms and sustains the wave channel. The nonlinear dispersion law and th e nonlinear changes in the wave field distribution and power flow are obtained, describing the effect of the self-focusing of the wares unde r conditions of weak nonlinearity.