Microwave discharges - structure and dynamic

Summary form only given, as follows. The parameters of free localised microwave (MW) discharges in nitrogen are numerically investigated. The typical discharge structure has a form of a successively developing plasma layers elongated in the direction of the electric field. A self-consistent model of the MW discharge of linear polarisation is presented. The kinetics of gas heating is treated in detail. The dependencies of the MW plasma parameters on the gas pressure are also studied. Electric field patterns are presented demonstrating the effects of the reflection and absorption of MW radiation. The electric field drop and the length of its penetration into the dense plasma layers are studied as a function of the discharge parameters. The structures of MW discharges for different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are analyzed. It is shown that for shorter wavelengths higher electron concentration is attained in plasma layers and a rapid gas heating occurs.