Laser Spark-Free Initiation of a Subcritical Microwave Discharge
摘要
Experimental study has been made of the ignition of a subcritical microwave discharge at pressures in the range 55–79 Torr with the initiation by pulsed laser radiation (58 mJ in a pulse). A rise of 36% in the critical pressure was obtained to form the discharge with the orientation of the laser beam along the vector of the microwave-field strength. Computer modeling has shown that upon the traversal of a focused laser beam, a highly conductive laser trail can be formed with a peak ionization degree as high as 10%, which, for a period of the order of 1 μs, locally enhances the electric microwave field up to supercritical values.