title: Inverse mirror plasma experimental device—A new magnetized linear plasma device with wide operating range.
abstract: Inverse mirror plasma experimental device has been designed and fabricated for detailed experimental investigation of phase mixing and wave breaking of plasma oscillation/wave. The device produces quiescent magnetized plasma over a wide operating range using multifilamentary source with low filament spacing in cusp geometry along with a flexible transition magnetic field region between the plasma source chamber and the main chamber. Argon plasma has been produced in the device over a wide pressure range from 1.7 × 10(-5) mbar to 9 × 10(-4) mbar, achieving plasma densities in the range of ∼10(9) cm(-3)-10(12) cm(-3) and temperatures in the range of ∼1.7 eV-5 eV. To fulfill a desired prerequisite of having quiescent plasma (δn/n ≤ 1%) for realizing phase mixing of nonlinear plasma oscillation and other wave experiments, a quiescent magnetized plasma is obtained: typical quiescence, δn/n ∼ 0.5% at 10(-4) mbar and B(main) ∼ 1 kG. The potential of the multifilamentary plasma source has been experimentally explored using a flexible transition magnetic field and the usual control features of a filament discharge. Probe measurements reveal that the plasma to be axially and radially uniform, an excellent scenario for wave launching and studying its propagating and phase mixing characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India.
authors.forename: Sayak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India.
authors.forename: Manjit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Saxena