Full-wave calculations of the O-X mode conversion process

A two-point boundary-value problem has been formulated that describes the conversion between ordinary (O) and extraordinary (X) wave modes in a cold inhomogeneous plasma. Numerical solutions to this problem have been obtained for various values of the WKB parameter k₀L; where k₀ is the vacuum wavenumber and L the density-gradient scale length. The results are compared with three different theoretical expressions for the O-X mode conversion efficiency derived by others in the WKB limit of k₀ L l. Most of the results presented in this paper are obtained for a collisionless plasma with finite density near the plasma cut-off density. However, some examples are also given of wave propagation from vacuum. In these examples, collision effects are added to the equations in order to remove the singularity otherwise present at the position of the upper hybrid resonance layer.