Instabilities of relativistic counterstreaming proton beams in the presence of a thermal electron background

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3432722· OSTI ID:21378010

Yalinewich, A; Gedalin, M ^[1]

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1. Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

A linear stability analysis is performed for two counterstreaming proton beams in the presence of a thermal electron background. Growth rates and polarization properties of unstable modes are calculated for various density ratios of the proton beams. It is found that in most cases, two unstable modes grow simultaneously: an electromagnetic filamentary mode that propagates perpendicular to the beam and an electrostatic mode that propagates parallel to the beam. The growth rates of the two modes are comparable, so that one expects that the instability would result in the development of a filamentary structure with a superimposed electrostatic pattern.

• OSTI ID: 21378010
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3432722; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRONS
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
POLARIZATION
PROTON BEAMS
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
BEAMS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
LEPTONS
MECHANICS
NUCLEON BEAMS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PLASMA