Cross-Field Ion Transport and Heating Due to Parametric Decay of Lower Hybrid Waves

Abstract

Parametric decay of lower hybrid pump waves into daughter lower hybrid waves and electrostatic ion-cyclotron waves was observed above instability threshold power levels in a fully ionized plasma. The ion velocity distribution function was measured in time and space by the nonperturbing techniques of laser-induced fluorescence and ion optical tagging. Significant ion heating, ${T}_{i}$ up to $6{T}_{i0}$, and cross-field transport were observed in the regime ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}12{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{pi}}$.