Dynamical analysis and map modeling of a thermionic diode plasma experiment

We perform a topological analysis of a chaotic behavior in a plasma experim ent: a thermionic diode experiment. The stretching and folding mechanisms a re schemed by a three branch template, i.e. a structure more complicated th an the common horseshoe template, Moreover, a discrete model for the first- return map to a Poincare section has been obtained from experimental data b y using a global modeling technique. The template and the model give strong indications for a low dimension dynamics underlying the experimental data. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.