This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Allan Lichtenberg of the University of California at Berkeley and Dr. R.W. Boswell at the Australian National University. The primary objective is to integrate U.S.analytic models with Australian numerical simulations to advance under- standing of the stochastic heating processes in oscillating sheaths (electronic beams) and the resulting energy and particle balance. The approach will interpret Australian numerical results in light of U.S. analytic results, will propose new numerical experiments to test analytic predictions, and will build,in general, better analytic models of plasmas and dynamic magnetic fields. The project represents excellent collaboration between the Australian group and its expertise in numerical simulations and the Lichtenberg work in analytic models. This is important fundamental work on plasma dynamics, as well as having potential for application to improved materials etching devices.
