Theory of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in a Hot Magnetoplasma

摘要

A brief discussion is given of the physical processes that occur in a hot magnetoplasma, and the results are compared to a cold plasma model. The conventional linearization of the Boltzmann equation is discussed, where the electron distribution function is expanded in terms of a small parameter proportional to the externally imposed electric field. Particle collisions are described by a relaxation model for the electron-neutral collision integral. The plasma is assumed to be Lorentzian, so that Coulomb collisions and ion motion are both neglected. Explicit expressions for the components of the conductivity tensor are given in Cartesian coordinates and in the principal coordinate system in which the conductivity tensor is symmetric. By asymptotically expanding the components of the conductivity tensor, it is shown how the dispersion relation determining the index of refraction becomes a relatively simple cubic equation. The Clemmow-Mullaly-Allis diagram is discussed for a warm plasma. Finally, the derivation of the radiation resistance of a short antenna in a hot, isotropic plasma is carried out in detail. (Author)