Active Microwave Single-Wire Line System for Anisotropic Plasma Diagnostics

The interaction of the surface wave fields on a single-wire transmission line with an anisotropic plasma is treated. An equation relating the electron number density in the plasma to the frequency shift of a single-wire coupled active microwave system is derived. The equation shows that there is a linear relationship between the number density and frequency shift, and that the magnetic field effect is cut in half relative to the normal k⟶⊥B⟶0;⊥Е wave mode case. Preliminary experimental results are presented.