LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE OBSERVATION OF SELF-ORGANIZED ION STRUCTURES INDUCED BY ELECTROSTATIC PERTURBATIONS

Effects induced by the propagation of electrostatic perturbations in a low-density collisionless argon plasma are reported. A space-time-vel ocity resolved laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic shows clearly tha t the plasma reacts to a steep density perturbation by the formation o f self-organized coherent ion structures.