Experimental investigation of nonlinear interactions of drift waves

Abstract

Collisionless cesium and potassium plasmas are investigated in a single-ended Q-machine. A wave associated with the circular plasma-limiting aperture is observed when the plate temperature is high enough. This wave and the ordinary drift wave interact nonlinearly to produce new waves at the sum and difference frequencies. The amplitude of the wave at the difference frequency is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the primary waves which have the same order of magnitude amplitude. The background continuum is investigate and is seen to fall off as w-3/2.