THEORY OF HIGH-FREQUENCY GUIDED-WAVES IN A PLASMA-LOADED WAVE-GUIDE

The theory of high-frequency guided waves in a plasma-loaded waveguide is presented. The formulation is based on kinetic theory, The theory Includes the effects of finite electron/ion temperatures and radial gr adients in the plasma density and particle temperatures. The inclusion of gradients into the formalism results in three, coupled, second-ord er, ordinary differential equations in the plasma fields, These equati ons show a singularity on the plasma axis (r=0); regularization of the field equations at the singular Feint leads to constraints on the pla sma fields that yield the necessary boundary conditions at r=0. Using the vacuum solutions, and the boundary conditions at r=0 and the plasm a-vacuum interface, the field equations are solved as a two-point boun dary-value problem, The numerical methods used are also discussed. Sol utions are presented in the form of dispersion curves (plots of upsilo n(phase) vs omega/Omega(e)) and radial profiles of the field polarizat ions for the m=+/-1 modes near electron cyclotron resonance (ECR). (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.