Three-Dimensional Structure of the Streamer in Linear Plasmas

The three-dimensional structures of the streamer and its carrier waves and mediator were observed in a linear plasma device for the first time. Not only the cross-sectional structure but also the axial structure was observed. While carrier drift waves, which form the streamer structure by nonlinear interaction, had an axial mode number of 1, the streamer and mediator had an axial mode number of 0. The relationship of these axial mode numbers is well explained by the matching condition of the nonlinear interaction between the carrier waves and the mediator.