ON THE PHYSICAL LIMIT OF THE POWER OF HEATING FACILITIES

A computer model for the energy exchange between powerful electromagne tic waves and the plasma of the lower ionosphere has been developed. T he loss function includes the processes of excitation of rotational an d vibrational molecular levels, elastic collisions and fine structure transitions in the oxygen atoms.The model allows a simulation of the h eating of the lower ionosphere at different frequencies as a function of the power flux of the pump wave. The limiting power of heating faci lities at different frequencies was obtained. A summary of the results is presented. The concept of creating a new generation of powerful fa cilities is discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.