Simulation and analysis of electron cyclotron resonance discharges

Abstract

We describe in detail the method for Particle-in cell/Monte-Carlo simulation of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges. In the simulation, electric and magnetic fields are obtained by solving Maxwell equations, and electrons and ions are accelerated by solving equations of motion. We consider two different cases: (i) propagation of electromagnetic wave in the presence of a constant external magnetic field; (ii) propagation of electromagnetic wave in the presence of a linearly decreasing magnetic field which corresponds to a realistic ECR discharge. The simulation results indicate that at the resonance layer, the electrons are heated by the electromagnetic wave, and the incoming wave amplitude is pronouncedly damped, with the wave hardly propagating through the ECR layer.