Excitation and propagation of an electromagnetic pulse in magnetized plasma in the low-hybrid frequency range

Abstract

We analyze specific features of slow quasi-static waves excited in the low-hybrid frequency band by a source whose dimensions are much smaller than electromagnetic wavelength. Main attention in this paper is given to an analysis of emission of harmonic signals by a dipole source in pulsed mode. First, the issue of influence of electromagnetic, thermal, and collision corrections in the dispersion equation on the field structure has been studied. Second, the structure of electric and magnetic fields near the resonant cone has been analyzed: in particular, effects of group delay and anomalous spreading of signals are considered. Thus constructed theory explains results of the OEDIPUS-C experiment, in which, for example, already at distances of order of ten wavelengths a signal delay of approximately 10⁻⁴ s was observed. Finally, we have studied some aspects of the inverse problem of electrodynamics: the role played in field formation by smoothness of charge distribution over antenna is demonstrated, and a class of smooth distributions of charge on antenna is found that form a preset field structure.