The magnetic-field-induced transition from an expanding plasma to a double layer containing expanding plasma

The magnetic-field-induced transition from a simple expansion to a double layer is experimentally investigated in an argon low pressure radio frequency helicon source plasma. When the magnetic field is increased from 30 to 140 G in the plasma source, an abrupt increase in the plasma density and upstream potential is measured at 50 G. In the downstream plasma, the plasma density and potential show a small decrease with increasing magnetic field and no abrupt change. When the upstream jump is measured, simultaneous measurements in the downstream plasma show an ion beam characteristic of a double layer near the source exit.