A kinetic equation for unstable plasmas in a finite space-time domain

Journal Article · Mon Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2979689· OSTI ID:21269033

Baalrud, S D; Callen, J D; Hegna, C C ^[1]

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1. Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1609 (United States)

A generalization of the Lenard-Balescu equation is derived that includes wave-particle scattering by collective instabilities in finite space-time domain plasmas. It is shown that wave-particle interactions can dominate conventional particle-particle Coulomb scattering when finite times are considered or convective instabilities are present in a medium of finite spatial extent before the instabilities grow to nonlinear or turbulent amplitudes. The modified Lenard-Balescu operator retains important physical properties including particle, momentum, and energy conservation laws and the Boltzmann H-theorem. To demonstrate its utility, the theory is applied to the simple example of convectively growing ion-acoustic instabilities in a finite spatial domain.

• OSTI ID: 21269033
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 15; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES
COULOMB SCATTERING
ENERGY CONSERVATION
H THEOREM
ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
KINETIC EQUATIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PARTICLES
PLASMA
SPACE-TIME
TURBULENCE