Electron Plasma Oscillations

Gottfried Wehner

Citation: Journal of Applied Physics 22, 761 (1951); doi: 10.1063/1.1700044

View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1700044
View Table of Contents: http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/22/6?ver=pdfcov
Published by the AIP Publishing

Articles you may be interested in

Evolution of oscillations of semiconfined electron plasma
Low Temp. Phys. 24, 414 (1998); 10.1063/1.593611

Nonlinear Oscillations in a Hot Electron Plasma

Phys. Fluids 8, 1896 (1965); 10.1063/1.1761125

Plasma Oscillation of Electrons in Carotenoids

J. Chem. Phys. 24, 1269 (1956); 10.1063/1.1742778

Plasma Oscillations in Electron Beams

J. Appl. Phys. 26, 1029 (1955); 10.1063/1.1722128

Plasma Ion Oscillations in Electron Beams

J. Appl. Phys. 26, 544 (1955); 10.1063/1.1722036

Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37
 JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS VOLUME 22. NUMBER 6 JUNE, 1951

Electron Plasma Oscillations

GoTTFRIED WEHNER
Components and Systems Laboratory, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio
(Received August 14, 1950)

. Electron plasma oscillations are excited by a beam of fast electrons in a stabilized low-pressure mercury
discharge. Probe measurements reveal that the uhf fields are localized in thin layers the plasma density
and frequency of whlch follow Langmuir's law. The beam of fast electrons traversin~ such an oscillation
l~yer b.ec?mes velocit~ modulated, and excitation conditions result from drift time and bunching considera-
tions sHnilar to those ill a klystron. A sealed-off tube described covers a frequency range between 800 and
4000 Mc (five modes) without changing or matching any resonance circuit.

I. INTRODUCTION part, and the tube is thereby tightened by the outside

A METHOD for producing electron beams in a low
pressure discharge was described by Fetz1 and
Schumann. 2 For this purpose, a fine mesh grid has to
separate the anode space from the cathode space.
Provided the right mesh width, which is mainly a
function of the gas pressure, a negative grid voltage
closes the grid holes with ion sheaths and stops the flow
of electrons from cathode to anode. When the grid
voltage is controlled in such a way that an increasing
anode current increases the negative grid voltage, the
discharge can be stabilized between the fired and un-
fired condition. In this way it is possible to raise the
arc voltage drop considerably, for instance, from the
normal arc drop of 12 volts to a drop of 500 volts or
more. Probe measurements reveal that the increased
voltage drop is localized in a double layer near the grid.
Each cathode space electron which reaches this region
is accelerated into the anode space with velocities cor-
responding approximately to the measured voltage drop.
Provided the pressure is low (order of magnitude 1 to
5J.L), these fast electrons have a mean free path longer
than the electrode distances and form a beam. The in-
vestigation of this electron beam with probes was
published by Wehner.a When this beam is reflected by
means of a "repeller" electrode, oscillations with output
power up to some watts and with frequencies between
1000 and 3000 mc were discovered. The investiga-
tion of these oscillations turned out to be an inter-
esting contribution to the problem of electron plasma
oscillations.
air pressure. In order to cool the rubber rings and to
maintain the desired mercury pressure, the tube is im-
mersed in a water bath with controlled temperature.
The stabilizing grid has 25 holes per cm2 ; each hole has
a diameter of 0.14 cm. The grid is made of graphite, the
material which best stands the heavy sputtering by
ion bombardment. The anode (a cylinder surrounding
the discharge) and the repeller (a plate within the anode,
parallel to the grid) are connected to a Lecher wire
system.
The elimination of other types of oscillations, such
as relaxation, audio noise, and radio frequency oscilla-
tions, was quite a problem. The necessary remedies and
precautions for this purpose are discussed in detail in
reference 3. An oscilloscope between anode and cathode
is of utmost importance to check, during all measure-
ments, whether or not the discharge is free of such
oscillations.
III. THE OSCILLATION LAYERS
To investigate the nature of the observed uhf oscilla-
tions, measurements were made with a movable probe.
Fortunately, the plasma densities in the anode space
are comparatively so high that the electron or ion
layers around the probe are small in thickness and do
a
h

II. EXPERIMENTAL ARRANGEMENT

The demountable discharge tube (Fig. 1) is connected
to the mercury diffusion pump and consists of two
separable parts. The lower part of the tube which acts
as cathode, contains the mercury pool with'the igniter
REPELLER
an auxiliary anode, and a cathode molybdenum sheet ANODE
for fixing the spot. The upper part containing the grid, C - GRID
d - RUBBER RING
an~de, repeller, and eventually a movable probe rests (} - STEEL. RING
upon a rubber covered ring of stainless steel on the lower f - AUXI UARY ANODE
9 - CATHODE fIXING SHEET
1 H. Fetz, Ann. Physik 37, 1 (1940); H. Fetz, Archiv. Elektro- 1! - MERCURY CATHODE
tech. 36, 378 (1942). I - IGNITER
2 W. O. Schumann, Archlv. Elektrotech. 36, 362 (1942).
3 G. Wehner, Ann. Physik 41, 501 (1942). FIG. 1. Discharge tube.
761
Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37
 762 GOTTFRIED WEHNER
+-
FIG. 2. Velocity distribution of the fast electrons without
oscillations.
not disturb the discharge in any way that would make
it shun the probe. The probe must be so small that the
highest occurring probe currents do not change dis-
charge-current and discharge-voltage drops, and big
enough so that it does not become too hot during opera-
tion. The ratio of probe diameter to sheath thickness
should be as large as possible in order to provide a well-
defined knee in the probe characteristic at plasma po-
tential. The probe used in these measurements had a
diameter of 0.8 mm and was 2 mm long.
Of special interest was that part of the probe char-
acteristic which shows the beam of fast electrons. This
part, which gives the beam current vs probe voltage
(beam velocity), was electrically differentiated, and,
therefore, the volt velocity distribution of the beam was
automatically displayed on a CR tube (3). Figure 2
shows the result for two positions of the probe when
no uhf oscillations are detectable. Cathode potential is
indicated by the Y axis and the probe is positive to
the left side; the fastest of the beam electrons show
up on the right side of the curve. The upper curve is
made with the probe near the stabilization grid, the
lower one with the probe moved about 2 em in the
direction of the repeller. A smooth transition takes
+ . . .--
FIG. 3. Velocity distribution of the fast electrons when
oscilla ting.
Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37
place when the probe is moved. The two curves show
the decrease of the number of fast and the increase of
the number of slow beam electrons directed toward the
repeller, owing to the impacts with gas molecules. The
picture is completely different when these oscillations
are detectable. When the probe is moved a certain
distance away from the grid (here about 0.5 em), the
curve, instead of changing gradually, changes abruptly
to another one, as shown in Fig. 3. The abrupt broaden-
ing of the velocity distribution of the beam (some
electrons reach the probe even when it is 30 volts
negative to the cathode) indicates an oscillation layer
in which the beam electrons are periodically accelerated
and retarded.
A careful visual investigation of the discharge reveals
that when the plasma density is comparatively low,
these oscillation layers can be seen in the form of a thin
layer, a little darker than the surrounding plasma near
the edge of the ion sheath covering the grid or some-
times a second such layer near the edge of the ion
sheath covering the repeller (Fig. 4). These layers are
not always visible when oscillations are present, owing
ELECTRON BAM
ANODE PLASMA
ANODE
GRID
FIG. 4. Picture of the oscillating discharge.
to the slight contrast between oscillation layers and the
surrounding plasma; but, in all cases when such layers
are visible, these oscillations are detectable. It seems
that such an oscillation layer coincides with the plasma
boundary and builds up a small joining seam of reddish
blue plasma in the dark ion sheath. The color of this
seam is characteristic for excitation by very slow elec-
trons. This can be shown when a negative repeller
reverses the electron beam in a dark ion sheath (Fig. 4).
The color of the plasma in the region where these
electrons are reversed is similar to that observed in
the seam.
These oscillation layers are obviously the same as
those first observed by Merril and Webb,4 under quite
different conditions, near an oxide cathode.
The next step was to measure the plasma density in
the anode space with Langmuir's well-known method
for measuring the electron current collected by the
probe at plasma potential. The results are shown in Fig.
5, and the conclusions are:
4 H. J. Merril and H. W. Webb, Phys. Rev. 55, 1191 (1939).
 ELECTRON PLASMA OSCILLATIONS 763

(1) The density is not constant along the axis of TABLE I. Plasma density measurements in the oscillation layer.
the anode space but decreases from the center towards
U. I. b a' Niemi }. meas. d }.cale
grid and repeller.
(2) The density increases with the anode voltage 270 0.05 0.6 1.1 X 1010 32 31.8
owing to the repeated reflections of the beam between 320 0.Q7 0.57 1.5XlOlo 29 27.2
400 0.1 0.5 2.1XlO'0 25.5 23
grid and repeller.
(3) The density depends very much on the repeller
U. = anode voltage in volts,
voltage which con trolls the number of fast electrons b I tJ =: anode current in amp .

reflected or absorbed, or the number of secondary a = distance between grid and oscillation layer in em.
d}. = wavelength in em.
electrons released at the repeller.
Some results of plasma density measurements right in where j+ is the space charge limited ion current density
the oscillation layer are shown in Table I. In the last two entering the ion sheath, ~0=1/36dOll, and M=mass
columns, the free space wavelength measured with a of the mercury atom. In one case, for instance, the grid
frequency meter is compared to the wavelength calcu- was U = 1000 volts negative to the plasma and the ion
lated with the measured plasma density N from sheath thickness was 0= 1 em, so thatj+= 1.24X ID-'A/
Langmuir's law f= (e2N /1rm)!. The agreement is so cm2 Figure 7 shows, for this case, the potential ('Po)
and field (Eo) distribution in and near the ion sheath.
o"0 Let us now assume that a layer of thickness .6x of
3 plasma electrons adjoining the ion sheath is shifted
4 by .6x in the direction of the plasma, leaving a layer of
",,- --........ ~200 ions behind, as shown schematically in the lower part

,3 I -
of Fig. 6, and investigate the field and potential change.
The oscillation frequency in the above case was 1000 Me,
and this corresponds to a plasma density of N = 1010/cm3

V
~ 1"100
The oscillation amplitude was about U ~= SO volt (from
Fig. 3), and a potential change of 2U ~= 100 volts

---
E yielded, with the poisson equation, a .6x value of about
~ 2
Z

/' 10 50
I trons, of course, have the tendency to move back and
o
o 5 10 15 mm
- DISTANCE FROM GRID
FIG. 5. Plasma density distribution along the axis in the
anode space.
that it may now be justified to consider these oscillations
as "electron plasma oscillations."
The well-known assumption concerning these plasma
oscillations is to suppose a perturbation of the quasi-
neutrality of the plasma and to consider the plasma
electrons oscillating about the stationary ions. 6 The
density distribution along the anode space in connection
with the frequency-density law suggests, by itself, that
for one frequency, such oscillations can occur only in
one or two layers. In all our experiments, such layers
were always detected near the plasma boundary, and it
0.075 cm. Figure 7 shows the field El and potential 'PI
distribution for this case. The potential notch spreads
up to 0.2 em into the ion sheath, and the shifted elec-
fill it up. In the potential minimum, the plasma elec-
trons have velocities higher than those electron veloci-
ties which belong to the maximum of the optical
20 excitation curve; hence, the oscillation layer is darker
than the surrounding plasma. The characteristically
colored seam, especially on the side of the ion sheath,
shows excitation by very slow electrons which are just
reversing their path.
These very simplified considerations are in no way
complete or exact; however, they show that the visible
discharge picture with oscillation layers can be ex-
plained along these lines, and the calculated thickness
of oscillation layer and seam are not in contradiction to
the observed data.
UNOfSTURBED
CASE

may be reasonable to place such a disturbance in an

>ELECTROOE
unsymetrical zone of the plasma, i.e., near the edge of
CASE WITH
an ion sheath. The field and potential distribution in SHIFTED
ELECTRON
such an ion sheath may be calculated from LAYER

j+= (4/9)~0(2e/M)!(Ut/02).
6 L. Tonks and J. Langmuir, Phys. Rev. 33, 195 (1929). FIG. 6. Schematic picture of the oscillation layer.

Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37
 764 G.DTTFRIED WEHNER

Anode voltage 400 volts

-'g E
f-, ,

~
C)
~ ~
1/)
J [L
~V / V Transit time considerations provide a much sharper
P ASM "'"
7: r"
~ ~
,. 11-", ~ 'I,
~ ~ . are obtained. In each mode the beam velocity is
\ factor decreases (as experiments show) with the grid
50 1000
/IX
10-4 X
FIG. 7. Field and potential distribution near t~e edge and
in the ion sheath when the discharge oscillates.
IV. BUNCHING OF THE BEAM ELECTRONS
No considerations have yet been made concerning the
mechanism which is responsible for the excitation of
these oscillations. It is obvious that the electron beam is
necessary for this purpose, and the observed velocity
modulation of the beam points to considerations well
known from klystrons. Provided the mean free path
of the beam electrons is large, the beam leaving the
oscillation layer and passing a certain drift space will
also be density modulated. The distance F between
oscillation layer and the place of maximal bunching
is given by F=3.68.6.107Uot/21rf~, w.here Uo=:,beam
velocity and ~=U~/Uo(U~=osClllatlOn amphtude).
A resonance system (resonance frequency j) near this
place should be able to transform kinetic beam energy
into uhf energy. The repeller is of so much importance
in getting these strong oscillations because it either
provides this resonance system in. form of a sec~nd
oscillation layer near the edge of the IOn sheath covermg
the repeller or it causes the beam to be reversed so that
the grid oscillation layer is "buncher" and "catcher,"
as in a reflex klystron. Reflection may take place also
when the repeller is positive to cathode but still nega-
tive to the plasma. In this case, the reflected beam
electrons are actually secondary electrons released at
the repeller.
Neither the calculation nor the measurement of F
with a movable probe can be done with much accuracy.
The calculation cannot be made with much accuracy
because the measurement of ~ is very inexact. On the
other hand, the density modulation as a function of the
distance has only a very flat maximum. The following
example shows that the calculated F is at least of the
order of magnitude of the electrode distances.
Anode current
Wavelength
0.16 amp
20cm
Distance from grid to repeller 2cm
Distance from oscillation layer to grid 0.4 cm
Modulation degree
Calculated focus distance F
t
1.8 cm.
V. TRANSIT TIME CONSIDERATIONS
ELE TROI~
excitation condition than these bunching considerations.
When the beam velocity (U a)! is plotted against j, re-
sults like those in Fig. 8, with several oscillation modes,
proportional to the frequency and the proportionality
repeller distance. The proportionality factor between
U a l / 2 and j may be calculated from the following con-
siderations. Only those electrons which pass the first
oscillation layer when the field increases compose the
bunch. Hence, the electrons of such a bunch accumulate
around the electrons which pass the oscillation layer
when the field rises through zero. These electrons may
be called "reference electrons." The bunched beam
delivers energy to an rf field only when this field has
such a phase that the bunch is retarded. This considera-
tion gives the wanted equation between transit time
(which is a function of uat) and j, and there are two
excitation possibilities:
(1) Reflection.-The transit time tl of the reference
electrons, from oscillation layer to repeller and back,
equals T/4X(4n+1), T=l/j and n=l, 2, 3 . . . , the
same excitation conditions as in a reflex klystron.
(2) No reflection.-The bunched electron beam de-
livers its energy in the second oscillation layer near the
repeller. Considering the higher plasma density and
resonance frequency of the plasma in between these
two layers, it may be assumed that this plasma block
is free of high frequency fields and oscillates like the
drift space electrode in the Heil generator. 6 The transit
time t2 of the reference electrons between these two
layers equals, in this case, T/4X(4n+1).
GRAPHITE GRID
(6 HOLES
PER CENTIMETER,
HOLE DIAMETER-
1.4 MM)
FIG. 8. Sealed off plasma oscillator.
6 A. Arsenjewa Heil and O. Heil, Z. Physik 95, 753 (1935).

Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37
 ELECTRON PLASMA OSCILLATIONS 765

Knowing the potential distribution along the anode , 01 .

.
space and the location of the oscillation layers, it is V ..
possible to calculate the transit times, hand t2, and the
J' /
.'
..
proportionality factor. Both excitation possibilities may /
/ /
be present, and the different modes belong to different 3
/
integers of either the reflection or the Heil case of li. 1/
excitation. 1 " 1/ 1/
Figure 9 shows the beam velocity vs frequency dia-
gram of a sealed-off all metal tube with an electrode
II
1/
1/
V
/' . 1..-4

arrangement according to Fig. 8. These measurements 7 I /

/ rt' "....,.
were made with a relatively high pressure (6p.); hence, In
/ ~ ~ ...... ~
reflex excitation owing to the limited free path of the II n.y
V 1""' ""
V
beam electrons is more or less suppressed. Assuming,
furthermore, that the oscillation layers coincide with I
/Ifi"
,/"" r;....- V
..
"....,.

the plasma boundaries, the calculation becomes very II ~ ~ :::;..

simple, and is based on the following equations: ~~
3 "10

=i/' (4n+l),
t2
j= 9000 Nl,
L=a-2d (Fig. 9),
d=550 Uo"/Nl/.8
L=610 7 U oL t 2,
d= thickness of ion sheath,
a= distance between grid and repeller, and
L=distance between the oscillation layers.
From these, the following equation is derived.
(n+i)610 7 U ot+10 7 Uof=a-j.
For n= 1,2,3, and 4 with a=O, 6, the curves of Fig. 9,
which are in good agreement with the measured points,
result.
VI. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The output was measured by photometric means
using small tungsten wire lamps. Maximal output was
about 4 watts at 15 em wavelength, with an efficiency of
4 percent. This small efficiency is obviously caused by
the small high frequency amplitudes ({3 was never
found to be more than i). With a distance between
grid and repeller of 0.4 cm, the shortest detected wave-
length was 6.5 cm. In this case it becomes difficult to
maintain the high required plasma density because the
grid and repeller, being so close together, cause too great
a loss of ions.
The beam current is not to be identified with the
7 G. Wehner, Jahrb. 1942 der deutschen Luftfahrtforschung
III, 24 (1942).
8 H. Fetz, Ann. Physik 40, 579 (1941).
FIG. 9. Beam-velocity vs frequency diagram of the
plasma oscillator.
anode current and may be found from the voltage
current characteristic of the repeller. It was here in
the order of 10 to 100 rna. The vapor pressure limits
are mostly given by the conditions for discharge stabili-
zation. Within this range, the pressure is not very
critical.
The repeller should be exactly parallel to the grid,
otherwise output and efficiency become very poor.
Sputtering of electrodes by ion bombardment is very
rapid because both the voltage drop between plasma
and grid or repeller and the plasma density are com-
paratively high. To cut down sputtering as much as
possible, the grid and repeller are made of graphite.
The sealed off mercury tube, without changing or
matching any resonance circuit, merely by changing
anode voltage and current, covers a frequency range
between 800 to 4000 me. Oscillations started, in this
case, even with 25 volts anode voltage.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to express his thanks to his associ-
ates in the Components and Systems Laboratory,
Electron Tube Unit, who gave help in many respects,
to his supervisors, especially to Mr. Robert Cherpeski,
who made this research possible; to the Late C. Ohl who
skillfully built the sealed off tubes; and to Emil Benz for
his excellent job in glass work.

Reuse of AIP Publishing content is subject to the terms at: https://publishing.aip.org/authors/rights-and-permissions. Download to IP: 132.248.182.1 On:
Thu, 19 May 2016 18:47:37