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Title: Nonlinear stopping power of ions in plasmas

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.872017· OSTI ID:280156
 [1]
  1. Theoretical Quantum Electronics (TQE), TH Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 4a, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany)

The study of the nonlinear stopping power of ions in plasmas is of fundamental importance for various applications. One example is the energy loss of heavy ions passing through a plasma. Due to the high non-equilibrium charge states specific to heavy ions, the plasma regime with coupling parameters 1/{ital N}{sub {ital D}}{lt}1 and {ital Z}{sub {ital p}}/{ital N}{sub {ital D}}{approx_gt}1 ({ital N}{sub {ital D}}{approximately} number of electrons in a Debye sphere, {ital Z}{sub {ital p}} charge of the ion) is of interest. In this regime, the Vlasov-Poisson system cannot be linearized, rather a fully nonlinear treatment is required. In the present paper, the Vlasov-Poisson system is solved numerically by using the capability of the new generation of massively parallel supercomputers. The results are compared with the standard dielectric theory and a recent binary collision approach. It is demonstrated that nonlinear effects lead to a strongly reduced Bragg-peak for {ital Z}{sub {ital p}}/{ital N}{sub {ital D}}{approx_gt}1. In the nonlinear regime, the scaling of the stopping power is close to a {ital Z}{sub {ital p}}{sup 3/2} law, which is found to be characteristic for the nonlinear stopping power, if the influence of close collisions on the induced potential is treated properly. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

OSTI ID:
280156
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 3, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: May 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English