Heating of an ionized gas sheath by microwaves

Summary

In this communication the author has discussed the heating of an isothermal rigid uniform sheath by the incidence of microwaves, a problem of importance in space physics. The physical processes considered are as follows : The temperature of the sheath rises due to the absorption of microwaves, which in turn increases the electron density and thereby affects the absorption. This continues until the absorbed microwave energy equals the energy lost by radiation.