Formation of a Charged Layer in a Bounded Non-Uniform Magnetized Plasma in RF Field

A model of plasma dynamics in the box of an ICRF (ion cyclotron radio-frequency) antenna without Faraday shield used for the plasma heating in tokamaks is proposed. Formation of a macroscopic layer of oscillating charge that plays a role of a shield is predicted. Relation to phenomena observed in a scrape-off layer plasma is discussed.

POTENTIAL PART OF ELECTRIC FIELD OF ICP COIL

ICP devices are widespread in modern technology, so the capacitive coupling in ICP is well known. It does not make a sufficient impact to the power deposition in plasma, and mostly it assumed to be a harmful effect [1]. Fortunately, making use of Faraday shield allows one to avoid a detail investigation of the capacitive coupling. However, in some cases it would be useful to account both coupling types of the inductor with a plasma [2]. There are many ways for analytical and numerical simulation of the inductors and their coupling with a plasma. In the most simulating tools, the problem comes to FEM PDE model, which includes as minima the body of an inductor wire and the surrounding space. In the paper, we use some other approach, based on integral solutions for electrodynamics potentials. Electric fields of some inductors are studied in the framework of the approach.

The heuristic model of energy propagation in free space, based on the detection of a current induced in a conductor inside a continuously covered conducting enclosure by an external radio frequency source

The objective of this study is to propose a heuristic model of energy propagation due to an anomaly; electromagnetic (EM) field penetration into a continuously covered conducting enclosure (Faraday shield) from an external radio frequency source, violating the accepted model in the EM field theory. In this study, at an arbitrarily selected frequency, range of 26.965–1,800 MHz, of an external frequency source, an EM field inside the conducting enclosure was observed, contrary to expectations, which was followed by a systematic examination. Although no induced voltage could be expected inside the enclosure according to the classical theory, the experiment revealed a clear induced voltage inside, an attenuated induced voltage of −18.0 to −1.0 dB (for the range of frequencies 26.965–1,800 MHz) was observed. Hence, these results apparently contradict the established notion that an EM field cannot penetrate a Faraday shield. Rationalizing these observations and the results of the investigation leads to an alternative model to the existing models of energy propagation in free space. In this model, novel quantities named “I-Spin-energy” and “I-Spin-energy field” are defined to replace the concept of electric and magnetic fields in the classical EM theory. The proposed I-Spin-energy model is capable of explaining the unexpected presence of the EM field inside the Faraday shield as well as the induction of an alternating current in a conductor placed inside a Faraday shield along with other existing observations in physics such as those in famous Young’s double-slit experiment on interference of light, which provided the basis for the wave theory.