High pressure uniform plasma formation

Summary form only given. The study of gas dynamic shocks in weakly ionized plasmas requires the formation of plasmas with an interesting set of parameters. Experiments relevant to drag reduction it is imperative to produce highly uniform plasmas at pressures in the range of 10-100 Torr. In experiments planned for at Princeton, plasmas on the order of 5 cm in diameter and 10 - 30 cm in length are necessary. This set of parameters has not been widely explored in other plasma applications. Previous drag reduction experiments have utilized DC electrode or microwave driven discharges with a high level of nonuniformity.