Transitions of macroscopic structures and self-induced chaos observed in plasmas by a dc hollow cathode discharge having features of nonlinear open systems - art. no. 036401

A novel experimental investigation is presented on the connection between d iscontinuous transitions of macroscopic structures of plasma and self-induc ed chaotic oscillations characterized by the positive Lyapunov exponents la mbda (L) through the period-doubling route in a de hollow cathode discharge , which has features of nonlinear open systems. We have clarified experimen tally that there appear different discharge modes accompanying the disconti nuous transitions, and detailed qualitative explanations are presented abou t the mechanism of those transitions. It is shown that fundamental frequenc ies of the self-induced periodic oscillations with nonpositive lambda (L) c hange with the changes of discharge current, and the amplitude of chaotic o scillations with the positive lambda (L) jumps up almost one order higher t han that of nonchaotic ones with the nonpositive lambda (L). The self-induc ed chaotic oscillations with the positive lambda (L) have been observed nea r two edges of discontinuous transitions of plasma structures, suggesting t hat the chaotic mode is associated with the discontinuous transition of mac roscopic structures in some nonlinear open systems.