PLASMA STRUCTURE IN LATER-TIME HANE PLASMAS - LABORATORY SIMULATION

BECAUSE INTERNATION TREATIES PRECLUDE HIGH-ALTITUDE NUCLEAR TESTS, THERE IS LITTLE RELEVANT DATA FROM NUCLEAR BURSTS REGARDING THE SIZE AND DYNAMICS OF STRIATIONS IN NUCLEAR PLUMES OR EVEN THE BASIC PHYSICAL CONDITIONS WHICH PERMIT THE EVOLUTION OF STRIATIONS. THE UNDERSTANDING OF STRIATION BEHAVIOR IS IMPORTANT, AS STRIATIONS GENERATED WHEN THE IONOSPHERE IS DISTURBED BY NATURAL OR NONNUCLEAR MANMADE PROCESSES HAVE BEEN CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED TO HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON COMMUNICATIONS LINKS. WE PROPOSE TO USE A LARGE PLASMA CHAMBER PRESENTLY AT JAYCOR TO CONDUCT AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE SIZE AND DYNAMICS OF STRIATIONS IN A CONTROLLED AND HIGHLY DIAGNOSED LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT. IN PHASE I WE WOULD DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY AND METHODOLOGY OF SUCH A STUDY. IF SUCCESSFUL, SUCH A LABORA-TORY SIMULATION OF PLUME STRIATIONS COULD ISOLATE THE RELEVANT PHYSICSCONTROLLING THE PROBLEM OF MICROSTRUCTURES IN NUCLEAR PLUMES. BY ITERATION AND CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE THEORETICAL EFFORT PRESENTLYFUNDED BY THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR AGENCY, THE LABORATORY SIMULATION SHOULD ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRECISE MICROSTRUCTURE ALGORITHMS FOR USE IN NUCLEAR-EFFECTS SIMULATIONS LIKE SCENARIO.