Creation of an artificial ionized layer in the atmosphere by microwave nanosecond radiation

Summary form only given. The paper reviews recent results of the IAP microwave discharge group in investigation of a pulse-periodical nanosecond microwave discharges in converging wave beams. Performed experiments are the laboratory modelling of plasma chemical kinetics in an artificial ionized layer (AIL) created in the atmosphere by microwave beams using a ground-based transmitters. The interest to the AIL is explained by the variety of tasks which can be solved with its help. At present there are suggestions to use AIL for: distant radio- and television communication, generation of ozone, diagnostics of the atmosphere, clearing of atmospheric pollution. The experiments were performed for a wide range of parameters: wavelength /spl lambda/=0.8 and 3 cm, pulse duration /spl tau/=G and 500 nS, pulse power P=50 kW and 20 MW, pulse repetition rate F=1-10/sup 3/ Hz, air pressure p=10-100 Torr. For the first time the possibility of using a nanosecond microwave discharge in wave beams to replenish the ozone decrease in the region of local "ozone holes" has been demonstrated experimentally. The regimes of effective ozone generation with low expenditure of energy (25-50 eV per molecule) have been defined. The efficiency of chlorofluorocarbons (freon) destruction has been defined with the help of AIL in troposphere at the heights of 10-20 km on the basis of laboratory measurements of plasma decay rate of a nanosecond microwave discharge.