High Power Microwave Energy Coupling to Nitrogen during Breakdown

摘要

Microwave energy coupling to nitrogen for breakdown conditions have been investigated. The experiments were performed in 25 Torr nitrogen using a 35k GHz 1 microseconds microwave pulse focused to 33 kW/squared cm. The plasma created during breakdown was observed to travel towards the source with a velocity of 4.6 x 10 to the 6th power cm/s. Spectroscopic measurements using a nitrogen helium mixture indicate the average electron density over a 2 cm chord to be 4.4 x 10 to the 12th power/cc and the electron temperature to be 3.8 eV.