Helicon waves in a cylindrical plasma column

Abstract

Helicon waves have been used for efficiently coupling radio-frequency power to plasmas, and are studied for their potential application for low-frequency current drive in tokamks. In this paper the electromagnetic field components and the dispersion relation for azimuthally independent helicon-wave oscillations in a cylindrical plasma column are derived. The coupling of transverse electric TE and transverse magnetic TM modes associated with these oscillations is discussed. The effect of the collisional damping on determining the nature of the TM mode (either surface wave or body wave) is analysed.