Ionization instability

An ionization instability is any one of a category of plasma instabilities which is mediated by electron-impact ionization. In the most general sense, an ionization instability occurs from a feedback effect, when electrons produced by ionization go on to produce still more electrons through ionization in a self-reinforcing way.

Ionization instabilities have been seen in such plasma physics apparatus as glow discharges,[1][2] Penning discharges,[3] magnetic nozzles,[4][5][6] and MHD generators.[7][8][9] Ionization instabilities may occur in magnetized or unmagnetized[10] plasma. They occur mostly when the plasma is relatively cold and only partially ionized, so that there is a lot of neutral gas mixed in with the plasma.

  1. ^ Garscadden, A. (1969). "Dispersion and Stability of Moving Striations". Physics of Fluids. 12 (9): 1833–1844. Bibcode:1969PhFl...12.1833G. doi:10.1063/1.1692748. ISSN 0031-9171.
  2. ^ Allis, W.P. (1976-03-01). "Review of glow discharge instabilities". Physica B+C. 82 (1): 43–51. Bibcode:1976PhyBC..82...43A. doi:10.1016/0378-4363(76)90267-9. ISSN 0378-4363.
  3. ^ Roth, J. Reece (1969). "Experimental Observation of Low-Frequency Oscillations Described by the Plasma Continuity Equations". Physics of Fluids. 12 (1): 260–262. Bibcode:1969PhFl...12..260R. doi:10.1063/1.1692284. ISSN 0031-9171.
  4. ^ Johnson, J. C.; D'Angelo, N; Merlino, R. L. (1990). "A double layer induced ionisation instability". Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. 23 (6): 682–685. Bibcode:1990JPhD...23..682J. doi:10.1088/0022-3727/23/6/007. S2CID 250775910.
  5. ^ Aanesland, A.; Charles, C.; Lieberman, M. A.; Boswell, R. W. (18 August 2006). "Upstream Ionization Instability Associated with a Current-Free Double Layer". Physical Review Letters. 97 (7): 075003. Bibcode:2006PhRvL..97g5003A. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.97.075003. ISSN 0031-9007. PMID 17026239.
  6. ^ Aanesland, A.; Lieberman, M. A.; Charles, C.; Boswell, R. W. (December 2006). "Experiments and theory of an upstream ionization instability excited by an accelerated electron beam through a current-free double layer". Physics of Plasmas. 13 (12): 122101. Bibcode:2006PhPl...13l2101A. doi:10.1063/1.2398929. hdl:1885/16395. ISSN 1070-664X.
  7. ^ Kerrebrock, J. L. (July 1964). "Nonequilibrium ionization due to electron heating - i - theory". AIAA Journal. 2 (6): 1072–1080. Bibcode:1964AIAAJ...2.1072K. doi:10.2514/3.2496. ISSN 0001-1452.
  8. ^ Murakami, Tomoyuki; Okuno, Yoshihiro; Yamasaki, Hiroyuki (9 May 2005). "Suppression of ionization instability in a magnetohydrodynamic plasma by coupling with a radio-frequency electromagnetic field". Applied Physics Letters. 86 (19): 191502. Bibcode:2005ApPhL..86s1502M. doi:10.1063/1.1926410. ISSN 0003-6951.
  9. ^ Velikhov, E. P., A. M. Dykhne, and I. Ya. Shipuk. “Ionization Instability of a Plasma with Hot Electrons.” From the 5th Symposium on the Ionization of Gases, Yugoslavia, 1965. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670016557.pdf .
  10. ^ Akhiezer, A. I.; Akhiezer, I. A.; Angeleiko, V. V. (1969). "A New Kind of Instability in a Partially Ionized Plasma". Soviet Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics. 30: 476. Bibcode:1969JETP...30..476A. Archived from the original on 2018-11-22. Retrieved 2018-11-21.