Observation of plasma array dynamics in 110 GHz millimeter-wave air breakdown

Abstract

We present dynamical measurements of self-organizing arrays of plasma structures in air induced by a 110 GHz millimeter-wave beam with linear or circular polarization. The formation of the individual plasmas and the growth of the array pattern are studied using a fast-gated (5–10 ns) intensified camera. We measure the time-dependent speed at which the array pattern propagates in discrete steps toward the millimeter-wave source, observing a peak speed greater than 100 km/s. We observe the expansion of an initially spherical plasma into a disk or an elongated filament, depending on the polarization of the incident beam. The results show good agreement with one-dimensional ionization-diffusion theory and two-dimensional simulations.