Density profile control in a large diameter, helicon plasma

Plasmas with peaked radial density profiles have been generated in the world’s largest helicon device, with plasma diameters of over 70 cm. The density profiles can be manipulated by controlling the phase of the current in each strap of two multistrap antenna arrays. Phase settings that excite long axial wavelengths create hollow density profiles, whereas settings that excite short axial wavelengths create peaked density profiles. This change in density profile is consistent with the cold-plasma dispersion relation for helicon modes, which predicts a strong increase in the effective skin depth of the rf fields as the wavelength decreases. Scaling of the density with magnetic field, gas pressure, and rf power is also presented.