中国物理B ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3): 35201-035201.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ad1486

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Wave field structure and power coupling features of blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antenna geometries and frequencies

Chao Wang(王超)1,3, Jia Liu(刘佳)2, Lei Chang(苌磊)1,†, Ling-Feng Lu(卢凌峰)3, Shi-Jie Zhang(张世杰)1, and Fan-Tao Zhou(周帆涛)1   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China;
    2 Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, Shanghai 201112, China;
    3 Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041, China
  • 收稿日期:2023-11-01 修回日期:2023-12-05 接受日期:2023-12-12 出版日期:2024-02-22 发布日期:2024-03-06
  • 通讯作者: Lei Chang E-mail:leichang@cqu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 92271113), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2022CDJQY-003), Chongqing Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program for Overseas Returnees (Grant No. CX2022004), and the Fund from Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Space Engine (Grant No. 17DZ2280800).

Wave field structure and power coupling features of blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antenna geometries and frequencies

Chao Wang(王超)1,3, Jia Liu(刘佳)2, Lei Chang(苌磊)1,†, Ling-Feng Lu(卢凌峰)3, Shi-Jie Zhang(张世杰)1, and Fan-Tao Zhou(周帆涛)1   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China;
    2 Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, Shanghai 201112, China;
    3 Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu 610041, China
  • Received:2023-11-01 Revised:2023-12-05 Accepted:2023-12-12 Online:2024-02-22 Published:2024-03-06
  • Contact: Lei Chang E-mail:leichang@cqu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 92271113), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2022CDJQY-003), Chongqing Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program for Overseas Returnees (Grant No. CX2022004), and the Fund from Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Space Engine (Grant No. 17DZ2280800).

摘要: This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies. It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode, for blue-core mode, the wave can propagate in the core region, and it decays sharply outside the core. The power absorption is lower and steeper in radius for blue-core mode. Regarding the effects of antenna geometry for blue-core mode, it shows that half helix antenna yields the strongest wave field and power absorption, while loop antenna yields the lowest. Moreover, near axis, for antennas with m = +1, the wave field increases with axial distance. In the core region, the wave number approaches to a saturation value at much lower frequency for non-blue-core mode compared to blue-core mode. The total loading resistance is much lower for blue-core mode. These findings are valuable to understanding the physics of blue-core helicon discharge and optimizing the experimental performance of blue-core helicon plasma sources for applications such as space propulsion and material treatment.

关键词: helicon plasma, helicon wave, helicon discharge, radio frequency plasma source

Abstract: This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies. It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode, for blue-core mode, the wave can propagate in the core region, and it decays sharply outside the core. The power absorption is lower and steeper in radius for blue-core mode. Regarding the effects of antenna geometry for blue-core mode, it shows that half helix antenna yields the strongest wave field and power absorption, while loop antenna yields the lowest. Moreover, near axis, for antennas with m = +1, the wave field increases with axial distance. In the core region, the wave number approaches to a saturation value at much lower frequency for non-blue-core mode compared to blue-core mode. The total loading resistance is much lower for blue-core mode. These findings are valuable to understanding the physics of blue-core helicon discharge and optimizing the experimental performance of blue-core helicon plasma sources for applications such as space propulsion and material treatment.

Key words: helicon plasma, helicon wave, helicon discharge, radio frequency plasma source

中图分类号:  (Electromagnetic waves (e.g., electron-cyclotron, Whistler, Bernstein, upper hybrid, lower hybrid))

  • 52.35.Hr
52.50.Qt (Plasma heating by radio-frequency fields; ICR, ICP, helicons) 52.70.Ds (Electric and magnetic measurements) 41.20.Jb (Electromagnetic wave propagation; radiowave propagation)