ORDINARY WAVES IN RELATIVISTIC PLASMAS - ARBITRARY WAVE-PROPAGATION ANGLE

Ordinary waves propagating at an arbitrary angle to the steady magneti c field in thermal relativistic plasma are investigated. It is conclud ed that at oblique propagation, the wave propagation and absorption fe atures are similar to Whose which characterize the perpendicular propa gation of the ordinary wave. In particular, it is found that in a wide N-parallel to-range (0 less than or equal to N-parallel to < 1) the i ncrease of the electron temperature leads to an important shift of the location of the plasma cut-off density towards high values. The effec t of anomalous wave dispersion near the fundamental and second harmoni cs of the electron cyclotron frequency is also present at oblique wave propagation. It disappears gradually in the high-temperature, fully r elativistic domain. Efficient damping of the ordinary waves is obtaine d. It increases with electron density up to a broad maximum which occu rs at relatively high densities.