Simultaneous Observation of Multiple Nonlocal Eigenmodes of an Inhomogeneity-Driven Plasma Instability

Abstract

Multiple eigenmodes of the inhomegeneous energy-density-driven instability are observed simultaneously with large and comparable amplitude. This is in sharp contrast to the usual case in plasmas in which one eigenmode dominates or the laboratory device's geometry is responsible for multiple local eigenmodes. Each feature in the experimentally observed spectrum is unambiguously identified with a specific eigenstate of the theoretical model.