Cooking up plasmas with microwaves

Scientists have created plasmas with fusion-suitable densities, using microwave power with low frequency. The research team has identified three important steps in the plasma production: lightning-like gas breakdown, preliminary plasma production, and steady-state plasma. Blasting the microwaves without alignment of Heliotron J's magnetic field created a discharge that ripped electrons from their atoms and produced an especially dense plasma.

from Top Technology News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/LSmxT1e