RELATIVISTIC EFFECT ON ELECTROMAGNETIC-WAVE PROPAGATION THROUGH PLASMA WAVE-GUIDE

Propagation of electromagnetic waves through a rectangular waveguide f illed with a collision dominated isotropic plasma is discussed where t he relativistic movement of plasma medium has been taken into consider ation. From characteristic equations, the dispersion relations and cut off frequency for appropriate modes are studied. The fields existing inside the waveguide are also derived. The dispersion relation and cut off frequency for both T E and T M modes are found to depend upon wav eguide dimensions, plasma parameters and drift velocity of plasma medi um. The simplified case with no collision is also discussed. It is con cluded that plasma behaves as a non-dispersive medium when its drift v elocity approaches theoretically the velocity of light.