Regimes of the interactions of high-intensity plane electromagnetic waves with electron-ion plasmas

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2832699· OSTI ID:21069961

Shiryaev, O B ^[1]

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1. Department of Coherent and Nonlinear Optics, General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, 38 Vavilov Street, Box 119991, Moscow (Russian Federation)

A set of fully nonlinear equations is derived from the Maxwell equations and the electron and ion fluid dynamics in one-dimensional geometry as a model of the interactions of extremely intense plane electromagnetic waves with cold locally non-neutral electron-ion plasmas. The problem is solved for phase velocities close to the speed of light numerically and with the help of asymptotic techniques. Depending on the field magnitudes, three nonlinear regimes are found to occur in the system. At plane-wave intensities inducing relativistic electron fluid dynamics but insufficient to cause significant ion motions, the model reverts to the classic Akhiezer-Polovin problem and yields its solutions describing the nonlinear self-modulation of the electromagnetic fields in plasmas. The types of regimes sustained at field strengths entailing substantial ion dynamics are the self-modulation with a splitting of the plane-wave field spectrum into a set of closely spaced bands, and the harmonics generation with a spectrum comprising broadly distanced bands. The latter two regimes correspond to a subcritical and an overcritical range of the plasma longitudinal field potentials.

• OSTI ID: 21069961
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HARMONICS
IONS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
MODULATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHASE VELOCITY
PLASMA POTENTIAL
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
WAVE PROPAGATION