Propagation constant in a cylindrical wave guide containing a magneto active plasma with small transverse dimensions

Summary form only given, as follows. A review of the perturbation theory to calculate the wave propagation constant for a waveguide containing a plasma cylinder of small radius on its axis is presented. This wave propagation constant is important to implement some diagnostic techniques. In the present paper this constant for a column of a cold, magneto active plasma of small radius is calculated assuming that the distribution of electron density in the plasma is a parabolic function of the radius and it is shown that this result simplifies the determination of the average plasma density. Moreover, it is shown that for the particular case of an H/sub 11/ mode, the result obtained at the electron cyclotron resonance, can be used to gauge the waveguide as well as to demonstrate that the optimum way to introduce energy into a resonator in the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma sources is by reaching this resonance.