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An ignition of Beam Plasma Discharge (BPD) in space was observed in a neutral gas‐electron beam interaction experiment by Space Shuttle/Spacelab‐1 in 1983. An electron beam of 8 kV 100 mA was injected into a high dense nitrogen gas cloud of 10 23 molecules which was released during 100 msec from the orbiter. The appearence of the beam and its surroundings observed by a low‐light‐level TV camera showed a local ignition of the beam plasma discharge in the gas cloud. The enhanced plasma production, generation of auroral emission and associated wave emission were also detected by onboard diagnostic instruments.
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Sasaki et al. (1985) studied this question.
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