XVII. SPONTANEOUS RADIOFREQUENCY EMISSION FROM HOT-ELECTRON PLASMAS Academic and Research Staff

We have previously reported1 the observation of an instability in the afterglow of our pulsed electron-cyclotron resonance discharge characterized by enhanced electron-cyclotron radiation. In order to obtain a model upon which to base a detailed experi-mental investigation of this instability, we have undertaken a study of its basic characteristics. These characteristics were determined from observations made in our discharge and from similar observations made in several other experiments throughout the country. The characteristics have then been compared with various proposed theoret-ical explanations of the phenomenon. Table XVII-1 presents a comparison of a number of experiments exhibiting insta-bilities in which enhanced radiation near the electron-cyclotron frequency is observe