Existence and stability of the plasma sheath resonance near the ion plasma frequency

摘要

We present a theory of plasma sheath resonance in the neighborhood of the ion plasma frequency. Properly implementing the boundary conditions on the moving sheath edge leads to the possibility of reactive current compensation in the plasma sheath. We derive conditions which certain plasma parameters must satisfy in order for this resonance to exist and to be stable. The theory explains experimental results which have appeared to disagree with each other as well as with certain theoretical assertions.