Experimental-Study Of The Ponderomotive Effects Of A Large-Amplitude Microwave Field On A Magnetized Electron-Beam

Charged particles propagating in an inhomogeneous large amplitude microwave field experience a nonlinear force called the ponderomotive force. This effect can be theoretically evaluated either from the single particle or the fluid theories. For magnetized particles, these two descriptions predict quite different behaviors. A previous experiment [J. Vaclavik et al., Phys. fluids 29, 2034 (1986)] has shown results in agreement with the fluid theory. Here, an experiment with a magnetized electron beam is described, which brings out a ponderomotive deflection in agreement with the single particle theory. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.