Erlangen 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik
P 16: Poster Session Plasma Physics
P 16.49: Poster
Donnerstag, 19. März 2026, 13:45–15:45, Redoutensaal
Wave phenomena in plasmas - a students' experiment — •Alf Köhn-Seemann1 and Bayane Michotte de Welle2 — 1IGVP, Uni Stuttgart, Germany — 2NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center
This presentation describes a plasma physics experiment developed as part of a Master's level student lab course at the University of Stuttgart. The experiment is designed to convey fundamental plasma properties through the investigation of wave phenomena such as oscillations at the plasma frequency and ion acoustic waves. The plasma is generated by thermionic discharges in a double-plasma device. A multi-cusp magnetic field, produced by permanent magnets mounted on the vacuum vessel wall, leads to relatively high plasma densities while maintaining a magnetic field-free region in the plasma bulk. This enables clear observation of fundamental wave phenomena under well-controlled conditions. The experimental set-up allows great flexibility in the external control parameters, enabling students to gain hands-on experience with plasma diagnostics and wave excitation. The experiment has proven a versatile and robust platform for teaching key concepts in plasma physics.
Keywords: plasma waves; education; student experiment; ion acoustic waves; double-plasma device