The observations and measurements given by Earth orbiting satellites, deep space probes, sub-orbital systems and orbiting astronomical observatories point out that there are important physical processes which are responsible for a wide variety of phenomena in solar-terrestrial, solar-system and astrophysical plasmas. In this review these topics are exemplified both from an observational and a theoretical point of view.

A variety of satellite missions to observe the high energy universe are currently operating and some more with more versatility and capability are on the anvil. In this paper, after giving a brief introduction to the constituents of the high energy universe and the related plasma physical problems, general as well as specific features of the current and future x-ray and gamma-ray satellite missions are described.

Boundary layers are the sites where energy and momentum are exchanged between two distinct plasmas. Boundary layers occurring in space plasmas can support a wide spectrum of plasma waves spanning a frequency range of a few mHz to 100 kHz and beyond. The main characteristics of the broadband plasma waves (with frequencies >1 Hz) observed in the magnetopause, polar cap, and plasma sheet boundary layers are described. The rapid pitch angle scattering of energetic particles via cyclotron resonant interactions with the waves can provide sufficient precipitated energy flux to the ionosphere to create the diffused auroral oval. The broadband plasma waves may also play an important role in the processes of local heating/acceleration of the boundary layer plasma.

The matched filtering technique is based on the digital-construction of theoretical whistlers and their comparison with observed whistlers. The parameters estimated from the theoretical and experimental whistler curves are matched to have higher accuracy using digital filters. This yields a resolution ten times better in the time domain. We have tested the applicability of this technique for the analysis of whistlers recorded at Varanasi. It is found that the whistlers have propagated along L>2 and have wave normal angles after exiting from the ionosphere such that they propagate towards equator in the earth-ionosphere wave-guide. High-resolution analysis shows the presence of fine structures present in the dynamic spectrum. An effort is made to interpret the results.

The nonlinear evolution of an electron acoustic wave is shown to obey the Davey-Stewartson I equation which admits so called dromion solutions. The importance of these two dimensional localized solutions for recent satellite observations of wave structures in the day side polar cap regions is discussed and the parameter regimes for their existence is delineated.

The amplitude scintillations of very high frequency electromagnetic wave transmitted from geo-stationary satellite at 244.168 MHz have been recorded at Varanasi (geom. lat. 14′ 55′N) during 1991 to 1999. The data are analyzed to determine the statistical features of overhead ionospheric plasma irregularities which are mostly of small duration <30 minutes and are predominant during pre-midnight period. The increase of solar activity generally increases the depth of scintillation. The auto-correlation functions and power spectra of scintillations predict that the scale length of these irregularities varies from 200–500 m having velocity of movement between 75 m/sec to 200 m/sec. These results agree well with the results obtained by other workers.

Edge plasma properties in a tokamak is an interesting subject of study from the view point of confinement and stability of tokamak plasma. The edge plasma of SINP-tokamak has been investigated using specially designed Langmuir probes. We have observed a poloidal asymmetry of floating potentials, particularly the top-bottom floating potential differences are quite noticeable, which in turn produces a vertical electric field (E_v). This E_v remains throughout the discharge but changes its direction at certain point of time which seems to depend on applied vertical magnetic field (B_v).

Temperature fluctuations have been measured in the edge region of the SINP tokamak. We find that these fluctuations have a comparatively high level (30–40%) and a broad spectrum. The temperature fluctuations show a quite high coherence with density and potential fluctuations and contribute considerably to the anomalous particle flux.

The experimental determination of the dependance of confinement time of runaways on various discharge parameters has been presented along with the angular distribution of hard X-rays (HXrays) emitted from the torus in presence and absence of Langmuir probes.

The spatial and temporal structures of magnetic signal in the tokamak ADITYA is analysed using recently developed singular value decomposition (SVD) technique. The analysis technique is first tested with simulated data and then applied to the ADITYA Mirnov coil data to determine the structure of current peturbation as the discharge progresses. It is observed that during the current rise phase, current perturbation undergoes transition from m=5 poloidal structure to m=4 and then to m=3. At the time of current termination, m=2 perturbation is observed. It is observed that the mode frequency remains nearly constant (≈10 kHz) when poloidal mode structure changes from m=4 to m=2. This may be either an indication of mode coupling or a consequences of changes in the plasma electron temperature and density scale length.

Thomson scattering technique based on high power laser has already proved its superoirity in measuring the electron temperature (T_e and density (n_e) in fusion plasma devices like tokamaks. The method is a direct and unambiguous one, widely used for the localised and simultaneous measurements of the above parameters. In Thomson scattering experiment, the light scattered by the plasma electrons is used for the measurements. The plasma electron temperature is measured from the Doppler shifted scattered spectrum and density from the total scattered intensity. A single point Thomson scattering system involving a Q-switched ruby laser and PMTs as the detector is deployed in ADITYA tokamak to give the plasma electron parameters. The system is capable of providing the parameters T_e from 30 eV to 1 keV and n_e from 5 × 10¹²cm⁻³−5 × 10¹³cm⁻³. The system is also able to give the parameter profile from the plasma center (Z=0 cm) to a vertical position of Z=+22 cm to Z=−14 cm, with a spatial resolution of 1 cm on shot to shot basis. This paper discusses the initial measurements of the plasma temperature from ADITYA.

For long duration steady state operation of SST1, it would be very crucial to maintain the plasma radial and vertical positions accurately. For designing the position controller in SST1 we have adopted the simple linear RZIP control model. While the vertical position instability is slowed down by a set of passive stabilizers placed closed to the plasma edge, a pair of in-vessel active feedback coils can adequately control vertical position perturbations of up to 1 cm. The shifts in radial position arising due to minor disruptions would be controlled by a separate pair of poloidal field (PF) coils also placed inside the vessel, however the controller would ignore fast but insignificant changes in radius arising due to edge localised modes. The parameters of both vertical and radial position control coils and their power supplies are determined based on the RZIP simulations.

In a tokamak plasma, the poloidal magnetic field profile closely depends on the current density profile. We can deduce the internal magnetic field from the analysis of circular polarization of the spectral lines emitted by the plasma. The theory of the measurement and a detailed design of the Zeeman polarimeter constructed to measure the poloidal field profile in the ADITYA tokamak are presented. The Fabry-Perot which we have employed in our design, with photodiode arrays followed by lock-in detection of the polarization signal, allows the measurement of the fractional circular polarization. In this system He-II line with wavelength 4686 Å is adopted as the monitoring spectral line. The line emission used in the present measurement is not well localized in the plasma, necessiating the use of a spatial inversion procedure to obtain the local values of the field.

It is useful to state propagation laws for a self-focusing laser beam or a soliton in group-theoretical form to be called Lie-optical form for being able to predict self-focusing dynamics conveniently and amongst other things, the geometrical phase. It is shown that the propagation of the gaussian laser beam is governed by a rotation group in a non-absorbing medium and by the Lorentz group in an absorbing medium if the additional symmetry of paraxial propagation is imposed on the laser beam. This latter symmetry, however, needs care in its implementation because the electromagnetic wave of the laser sees a different refractive index profile than the laboratory observer in this approximation. It is explained how to estimate this non-Taylor paraxial power series approximation. The group theoretical laws so-stated are used to predict the geometrical or Berry phase of the laser beam by a technique developed by one of us elsewhere. The group-theoretical Lie-optic (or ABCD) laws are also useful in predicting the laser behavior in a more complex optical arrangement like in a laser cavity etc. The nonlinear dynamical consequences of these laws for long distance (or time) predictions are also dealt with. Ergodic dynamics of an ensemble of laser beams on the torus during absorptionless self-focusing is discussed in this context. From the point of view of new physics concepts, we introduce a stroboscopic invariant torus and a stroboscopic generating function in classical mechanics that is useful for long-distance predictions of absorptionless self-focusing.

This paper presents the dynamics as well as the stability of laser produced plasma expanding across the magnetic field. Observation of some high frequency fluctuations superimposed on ion saturation current along with structuring in the pin hole images of x-ray emitting plasma plume indicate the presence of instability in the plasma. Two type of slope in the variation of x-ray emission with laser intensity in the absence and presence of magnetic field shows appearance of different threshold intensity of laser corresponding to each magnetic field at which this instability or density fluctuation sets on. This instability has been identified as a large Larmor radius instability instead of classical Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability.

An intense laser radiation (10¹² to 10¹¹ W/cm⁻²) focused on the solid target creates a hot (≥1 keV) and dense plasma having high ionization state. The multiple charged ions with high current densities produced during laser matter interaction have potential application in accelerators as an ion source. This paper presents generation and detection of highly stripped titanium ions (Ti) in laser produced plasma. An Nd:glass laser (KAMETRON) delivering 50 J energy (λ=0.53 µm) in 2.5 ns was focused onto a titanium target to produce plasma. This plasma was allowed to drift across a space of ∼3 m through a diagnostic hole in the focusing mirror before ions are finally detected with the help of electrostatic ion analyzer. Maximum current density was detected for the charge states of +16 and +17 of Ti ions for laser intensity of ∼10¹¹ W/cm⁻².

An investigation of x-ray emission from Cu plasma produced by 1.054 µm Nd:glass laser pulses of 5 ns duration, at 2 × 10¹² − 2 × 10¹³ W cm⁻² is reported. The x-ray emission has been studied as a function of target position with respect to the laser beam focus position. It has been observed that x-ray emissions from ns duration plasma show a volume effect similar to subnanosecond plasmas. Due to this effect the x-ray yield increases when target is moved away relative to the best focal plane of the laser beam. This result supports the theoretical model of Tallents and has also been testified independently using suitably modified theoretical model for our experimental conditions. While above result is in good agreement with similar experimental results obtained for sub-nanosecond laser produced plasmas, it differs from result claiming filamentation rather than pure geometrical effect leading to x-ray enhancement for ns plasmas.

The x-ray emission from slab targets of copper irradiated by Nd:glass laser (1.054 µm, 5 and 15 ns) at intensities between 10¹² and 10¹¹W/cm² has been studied. The x-ray emissions were monitored with the help of high quantum efficiency x-ray silicon photo diodes and vacuum photo diodes, all covered with aluminium filters of different thickness. The x-ray intensity vs the laser intensity has a scaling factor of (1.2–1.92). The relative x-ray conversion efficiency follows an empirical relationship which is in close agreement with the one reported by Babonneau et al. The ion velocities were monitored using Langmuir probes placed at different angles and radial distances from the target position. The variation of the ion velocity with the laser intensity follows a scaling of the form Φ^β where β ∼0.22 which is in good agreement with the reported scaling factor values. The results on the x-ray emission from Cu plasma are reported.

Growth of a radially symmetrical ripple, superimposed on a Gaussian laser beam in collisional unmagnetised plasma is investigated. From numerical computation, it is observed that self-focusing of main beam as well as ripple determine the growth dynamics of ripple with the distance of propagation. The effect of growing ripple on excitation of ion acoustic wave (IAW) has also been studied.

Propagation algorithm for computer simulation of stationary paraxial self-focusing laser beam in a medium with saturating nonlinearity is given in Lie-optic form. Accordingly, a very natural piece-wise continuous Lie transformation that reduces to a restricted Lorentz group of the beam results. It gives rise to a matrix method for self-focusing beam propagation that is constructed and implemented. Although the results use plasma nonlinearities of saturable type, and a gaussian initial beam, these results are applicable for other media like linear optical fibers and to more general situations.

Emission plasma plume generated by pulsed laser ablation of a lithium solid target by a ruby laser (694 nm, 20 ns, 3 J) was subjected to optical emission spectroscopy: time and space resolved optical emission was characterised as a function of distance from the target surface. Propagation of the plume was studied through ambient background of argon gas. Spectroscopic observations can, in general, be used to analyse plume structure with respect to an appropriate theoretical plasma model. The plume expansion dynamics in this case could be explained through a shock wave propagation model wherein, the experimental observations made were seen to fit well with the theoretical predictions. Spectral information derived from measurement of peak intensity and line width determined the parameters, electron temperature (T_e) and electron number density (n_e), typically used to characterise laser produced plasma plume emission. These measurements were also used to validate the assumptions underlying the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model, invoked for the high density laser plasma under study. Some interesting results pertaining to the analysis of plume structure and spatio-temporal behaviour of T_e and n_e along the plume length will be presented and discussed.

A plasma channel produced by a short ionising laser pulse is axially nonuniform resulting from the self-defocusing. Through such preformed plasma channel, when a delayed pulse propagates, the phenomena of diffraction, refraction and self-phase modulation come into play. We have solved the nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation governing the propagation characteristics for an approximate analytical solution using variational approach. Results are compared with the theoretical model of Liu and Tripathi (Phys. Plasmas1, 3100 (1994)) based on paraxial ray approximation. Particular emphasis is on both beam width and longitudinal phase delay which are crucial to many applications.

Colloidal plasma is a distinct class of the impure plasmas with multispecies ionic composition. The distinction lies in the phase distribution of the impurity-ion species. The ability to tailor the electrostatic interactions between these colloidal particles provides a fertile ground for scientists to investigate the fundamental aspects of the Coulomb phase transition behavior. The present contribution will review the basic physics of the charging mechanism of the colloidal particles as well as the physics of the collective normal mode behavior of the general multi-ion species plasmas. Emphasis will be laid on the clarification of the prevailing confusing ideas about distinct qualities of the various acoustic modes, which are likely to exist in colloidal plasmas as well as in normal multi-ion species plasmas. Introductory ideas about the proposed physical models for the Coulomb phase transition in colloidal plasma will also be discussed.

Theoretical prediction of a new kind of normal mode behaviour of electro-mechanical nature was first time reported by Dwivedi and Das in 1992 in the context of mesospheric modeling of observed neutral induced turbulence. Local dynamo action (due to relative neutral flow) governs the basic physical principle for linear excitation of the neutral induced low frequency instability (NILF) in mesospheric plasma, which comprises of weakly ionized inhomogeneous gas confined by the external gravity and ambient magnetic field. The present contribution offers physical explanation in terms of dynamo transformation of neutral drag effect as a source to understand complete suppression of the usual collisional R-T and in turn linear driving of the NILF. It is therefore emphasized, worth calling it as the dynamo instability.

The effects of nonthermal ion distribution and finite dust temperature are incorporated in the investigation of nonlinear dust acoustic waves in an unmagnetized dusty plasma. Sagdeev pseudopotential method which takes into account the full nonlinearity of plasma equations, is used here to study solitary wave solutions. Possibility of co-existence of refractive and compressive solitons as a function of Mach number, dust temperature and concentration of nonthermal ions, is considered. For the fixed value of nonthermal ions, it is found that the effect of increase in dust temperature is to reduce the range of co-existence of compressive and refractive solitons. Particular concentration of nonthermal ions results in disappearance of refractive solitons while the decrease in dust temperature, at this concentration restores the lost refractive solitons.

Considering the Boltzmann response of the ions and electrons in plasma dynamics and inertial dynamics of the dust charged grains in a highly collisional dusty plasma, the nature of the electrostatic potential near a boundary is investigated. Based on the fluid approximation, the formation as well as the characteristic behaviours of the sheath is studied. It is expected that the presence of dust charged grains will lead to a very different behaviour of the sheath as compared to that of electron-ion plasma. Moreover, the collisions of the dust charged grains with the neutrals are expected to exhibit novel features.

Although plasma torches have been commercially available for about 50 years, areas such as plasma gun design, process efficiency, reproducibility, plasma stability, torch lives etc. have remained mostly unattended. Recent torch developments have been focusing on the basic understanding of the plasma column and its dynamics inside the plasma torch, the interaction of plasma jet and the powders, the interaction of the plasma jet with surroundings and the impingement of the jet on the substrate. Two of the major causes of erratic and poor performance of a variety of thermal plasma processes are currently identified as the fluctuations arising out of the arc root movement on the electrodes inside the plasma torch and the fluid dynamic instabilities arising out of entrainment of the air into the plasma jet. This paper reviews the current state of understanding of these fluctuations as well as the dynamics of arc root movement in plasma torches. The work done at the author’s laboratory on studying the fluctuations in arc voltage, arc current, acoustic emissions and optical emissions are also presented. These fluctuations are observed to be chaotic and interrelated. Real time monitoring and controlling the arc instabilities through chaos characterization parameters can greatly contribute to the understanding of electrode erosion as well as improvement of plasma torch lifetime.

A self-consistent kinetic treatment is presented here, where the Boltzmann equation is solved for a particle conserving Krook collision operator. The resulting equations have been implemented numerically. The treatment solves for the entire quasineutral column, making no assumptions about λ_mfp/L, where λ_mfp is the ion-neutral collision mean free path and L the size of the device. Coulomb collisions are neglected in favour of collisions with neutrals, and the particle source is modeled as a uniform Maxwellian. Electrons are treated as an inertialess but collisional fluid. The ion distribution function for the trapped and the transiting orbits is obtained. Interesting findings include the anomalous heating of ions as they approach the presheath, the development of strongly non-maxwellian features near the last λ_mfp, and strong modifications of the sheath criterion.

The variation of electron temperature and plasma density in a magnetized N₂ plasma is studied experimentally in presence of a grid placed at the middle of the system. Plasma leaks through the negatively biased grid from the source region into the diffused region. It is observed that the electron temperature increases with the magnetic field in the diffused region whereas it decreases in the source region of the system for a constant grid biasing voltage. Also, investigation is done to see the change of electron temperature with grid biasing voltage for a constant magnetic field. This is accompanied by the study of the variation of sheath structure across the grid for different magnetic field and grid biasing voltage as well. It reveals that with increasing magnetic field and negative grid biasing voltage, the sheath thickness expands.

With the development of fusion research, in the next generation tokamak like SST1 and ITER the tokamak discharge duration time of the order of 1000 sec is planned. At the same time acquisition of rapid changes of plasma parameters during discharge is required and this demands for higher sampling rate to acquire the data. Hence a large size of RAM (memory) is required to fulfill the above requirements but normally CAMAC based digitizer has limited on-board RAM which can be emptied only after the buffer is completely filled. Therefore, acquisition period is dependent on sampling frequency of the signal as well as on existing size of RAM. This drawback of above is overcome in this design of CAMAC based digitizer where we are using combination of FIFO memory and RAM to get continuous lossless acquisition as well as transient acquisition. This paper includes design of 4-channel CAMAC digitizer with 32 K samples RAM per channel for on-board storage and 8 K samples FIFO per channel for continuous acquisition. The module can be operated in different modes like monitoring, transient acquisition and continuous lossless acquisition with selectable sampling rate

A simple and very efficient gas jet levitation technique for levitating inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets has been developed. A low velocity gas jet through diverging nozzle generates precisely controlled low Reynolds number flow pattern, capable of levitating polymer microballoons up to 2500 µm diameter. Different shaped diverging nozzle are investigated, satisfactory levitation is achieved with simple conical shapes. With this setup microballoon can be levitated for hours with excellent stability, continuous rotation and at the desired height (reproducible with in less than 100 µm). The height of stabilization depends upon cone angle of diverging nozzle and velocity of levitating gas. This technique is very robust and highly insensitive to external disturbances like nonuniform temperature fields and vibrations.

This setup is very economical to fabricate, easy to operate and can be used efficiently in various spray coating application involving plastic and metallic layers on microballoons.

Conventional design of radiation detectors uses sintered ceramic insulating modules. The major drawback of these ceramic components is their inherent brittleness. Ion chambers, in which these ceramic spacers are replaced by metallic components with plasma spray coated alumina, have been developed in our Research Centre. These components act as thin spacers that have good mechanical strength as well as high electrical insulation and replace alumina insulators with the same dimensions. As a result, the design of the beam loss monitor ion chamber for CAT could be simplified by coating the outer surface of the HT electrode with alumina. One of the chambers developed for isotope calibrator for brachytherapy gamma sources has its outer aluminium electrode (60 mm dia × 220 mm long) coated with 250 µ thick alumina (97%) + titania (3%).

In view of potential applications in neutron-sensitive ion chambers used in reactor control instrumentation, studies were carried out on alumina 100 µ to 500 µ thick coatings on copper, aluminium and SS components. The electrical insulation varied from 10⁸ ohms to 10¹² ohms for coating thicknesses above 200 µ. The porosity in the coating resulted in some fall in electrical insulation due to moisture absorption. An improvement could be achieved by providing the ceramic surface with moisture-repellent silicone oil coating. Irradiation at Apsara reactor core location showed that the coating on aluminium was found to be unaffected after exposure to 10¹⁷ nvt fluence.

The promising applications of the microwave plasmas have been appearing in the fields of chemical processes and semiconductor manufacturing. Applications include surface deposition of all types including diamond/diamond like carbon (DLC) coatings, etching of semiconductors, promotion of organic reactions, etching of polymers to improve bonding of the other materials etc. With a 2.45 GHz. 700 W, microwave induced plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system set up in our laboratory we have deposited diamond like carbon coatings. The microwave plasma generation was effected using a wave guide single mode applicator. We have deposited DLC coatings on the substrates like stainless steel, Cu-Be, Cu and Si. The deposited coatings have been characterized by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and ellipsometric techniques. The results show that we have achieved depositing ∼95% sp³ bonded carbon in the films. The films are unform with golden yellow color. The films are found to be excellent insulators. The ellipsometric measurements of optical constant on silicon substrates indicate that the films are transparent above 900 nm.

Previously metal forming has been done using electromagnet in pulsed power mode, better known as magneform [1]. Here we will be presenting a different technique for metal forming. We are using water as a medium for this process. By discharging the stored electrical energy of the capacitor bank in water, we are getting the desired result i.e. to form (expand or compress) a wide range of workpiece to the desired shapes. The advantage of this method over conventional method is that it uses low power (negligible running cost). It does not require any post assembly cleaning degreasing and is hence environmentally ‘friendly’.

Relaxation of toroidal discharges is described by the principle of minimum energy dissipation together with the constraint of conserved global helicity. The resulting Euler-Lagrange equation is solved in toroidal coordinates for an axisymmetric torus by expressing the solutions in terms of Chandrasekhar-Kendall (C-K) eigenfunctions analytically continued in the complex domain. The C-K eigenfunctions are obtained as hypergeometric functions that are solutions of scalar Helmholtz equation in toroidal coordinates in the large aspect-ratio approximation. Equilibria are constructed by assuming the current to vanish at the edge of plasma. For the m=0, n=0 (m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers respectively) relaxed states, the magnetic field, current, q (safety factor) and pressure profiles are calculated for a given value of aspect-ratio of the torus and for different values of the eigenvalue λ_r0. The new feature of the present model is that solutions allow for both tokamak as well as RFP-like behaviour with increase in the values of λ_r0, which is related directly to volt-sec in the experiment.