Head-on collisions of electrostatic solitons in multi-ion plasmas

Journal Article · Sat Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4752217· OSTI ID:22086125

Verheest, Frank ^[1]; Hellberg, Manfred A ^[2]; Hereman, Willy A ^[3]

---

1. Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Gent (Belgium)
2. School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000 (South Africa)
3. Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401-1887 (United States)

Head-on collisions between two electrostatic solitons are dealt with by the Poincare-Lighthill-Kuo method of strained coordinates, for a plasma composed of a number of cold (positive and negative) ion species and Boltzmann electrons. The nonlinear evolution equations for both solitons and their phase shift due to the collision, resulting in time delays, are established. A Korteweg-de Vries description is the generic conclusion, except when the plasma composition is special enough to replace the quadratic by a cubic nonlinearity in the evolution equations, with concomitant repercussions on the phase shifts. Applications include different two-ion plasmas, showing positive or negative polarity solitons in the generic case. At critical composition, a combination of a positive and a negative polarity soliton is possible.

• OSTI ID: 22086125
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 19; 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
ANIONS
CATIONS
COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
KORTEWEG-DE VRIES EQUATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHASE SHIFT
PLASMA
PLASMA WAVES
SOLITONS
TIME DELAY