Wave propagation and mode conversion in a plasma

We use the radio wave not only for information and communications but also heating materials for example a microwave oven. As often called “the fourth state of matter”, the plasma also can be heated by radio wave. The study of plasma heating method with using radio waves is important because it is necessary to heat the plasma sufficiently to realize the thermonuclear fusion.

Waves propagating in the plasma interact with electrons or ions in some specific conditions and damped. We call such phenomenon as the resonant heating. The wave propagation in the plasma is very complicated because the characteristics of refraction, reflection, diffraction are different with the density and temperature. What is more, “mode conversion” between transverse and longitudinal waves, between different frequencies can occur.

I mainly study how to send the high power radio wave to its resonant region in the plasma efficiently considering complex characteristics of the wave propagation and mode conversion process in aspects of the numerical simulation and the experiment.

Igami Hiroe
Associate Professor,
Meta-hierarchy Dynamics Unit

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