This research program is for the study of new methods for producing plasma and for diagnosing them. There is a common need to develop suitable plasmas for many new applications. For instance, the plasma beat-wave field accelerator and the plasma lens for final focus of high energy beams need small but dense, uniform, quiescent, and reproducible plasmas. Plasma processing requires dc plasma sources whose composition, temperature, and potential can be controlled. Initially, this work will explore the limits of rf helicon wave sources with a view towards using them in plasma accelerator research and in plasma-assisted materials processing. Research on helicon waves has already begun on both theory and experiment. At the same time, work will begin on new probe techniques for measuring plasma properties in the presence of strong radio frequency oscillations. The project will then extend to other possible methods of ionization, such as two-photon ionization of Xe using uv flashlamps, or laser-heated capillary discharges, or associative ionization of Na. All these methods are non-standard and need study before one can map out their possibilities.
