Microwave Absorption and Reflection from Ultraviolet Laser and Electron CyclotronResonance Produced Plasma Sheet

摘要

This report contains information regarding progress on experiments associatedwith microwave reflection, absorption, and transmission with a laser produced plasma sheet. The progress report is in response to AFOSR AASERT Award F49620-93-1-0465. The objective of this research is to create a laser produced plasma with a high enough density to reflect or absorb microwaves. The plasma acts as an inertialess reflective or absorptive surface which can be used as an agile mirror in the reflective case, or as a cloaking shield in the absorptive case. During the past year a new laser was purchased to assist in the research. The new laser installation was accomplished in August 1996. A new heterodyne detection system was also studied to see its benefits as compared to a homodyne system used previously. The National Instruments data acquisition package LabView 4.0.1 was purchased for better interaction with Tektronix oscilloscopes. A new LabView driver was programmed into an updated PowerMac computer.