Simultaneous Observation of Multiple Nonlocal Eigenmodes of an Inhomogeneity-Driven Plasma Instability

M. E. Koepke; J. J. Carroll, III; M. W. Zintl; C. A. Selcher; V. Gavrishchaka

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.1441

Simultaneous Observation of Multiple Nonlocal Eigenmodes of an Inhomogeneity-Driven Plasma Instability

M. E. Koepke, J. J. Carroll, III, M. W. Zintl, C. A. Selcher, and V. Gavrishchaka

Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 1441 – Published 16 February 1998

Abstract

Multiple eigenmodes of the inhomegeneous energy-density-driven instability are observed simultaneously with large and comparable amplitude. This is in sharp contrast to the usual case in plasmas in which one eigenmode dominates or the laboratory device's geometry is responsible for multiple local eigenmodes. Each feature in the experimentally observed spectrum is unambiguously identified with a specific eigenstate of the theoretical model.

Received 19 June 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.1441

Authors & Affiliations

M. E. Koepke, J. J. Carroll, III^*, M. W. Zintl, C. A. Selcher^†, and V. Gavrishchaka^‡

Physics Department, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6315

^*Present address: 1224 SRB, 2455 Hayward Ave., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143.
^†Present address: Code 5554, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5000.
^‡Present address: Science Applications International Corp., 1710 Goodridge Dr., McLean, VA 22102-3701.