Undriven periodic plasma oscillation in electron cyclotron resonance Ar plasma

Abstract

We report experimental observation of periodic oscillation in a steady state electron cyclotron resonance argon plasma that is not driven by extra periodic forces. We interpret the oscillation according to the predator-prey model, which is a nonlinear plasma-neutral coupling in the plasma production region. The oscillation is observed in a narrow plasma parameter window and is evidence for neutral density depletion in a high density plasma system. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.