Normal-mode-based analysis of electron plasma waves with second-order Hermitian formalism

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5020794· OSTI ID:1423935

Ramos, J. J. ^[1]; White, R. L.  ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center

The classic problem of the dynamic evolution and Landau damping of linear Langmuir electron waves in a collisionless plasma with Maxwellian background is cast as a second-order, self-adjoint problem with a continuum spectrum of real and positive squared frequencies. The corresponding complete basis of singular normal modes is obtained, along with their orthogonality relation. This yields easily the general expression of the time-reversal-invariant solution for any initial-value problem. Examples are then given for specific initial conditions that illustrate different behaviors of the Landau-damped macroscopic moments of the perturbations.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
• Grant/Contract Number: FG02-91ER54109; SC0014664
• OSTI ID: 1423935
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1423914
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 3; ISSN 1070-664X
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Linear acoustics
Maxwell equations
Classical field theory
Linear algebra
Hilbert space
Algebras
Acoustic waves
Computational methods
Classical electromagnetism
Plasma simulation