Kinetic description of coupled transverse oscillations in an intense relativistic electron beam-plasma system
The stability properties of an intense relativistic electron beam propagating through a collisionless background plasma are investigated within the framework of the Vlasov--Maxwell equations. It is assumed that ..nu../sub j//..gamma../sub j/<<1, where j=b,e,i denote beam electrons, plasma electrons, and plasma ions, respectively, and ..nu../sub j/ and ..gamma../sub j/m/sub j/c/sup 2/ are Budker's parameter and the characteristic energy, respectively, of the plasma component j. The analysis is carried out for the class of rigid-rotor equilibrium distribution functions in which all particles of plasma component j have the same value of energy in a frame rotating with angular velocity ..omega../sub j/ and the same value of axial canonical momentum. From the stability analysis for coupled transverse oscillations between the beam electrons and the plasma electrons, it is found for a low density beam (..omega../sup 2//sub p/b/..omega../sup 2//sub c/b< or approx. =0.5) that perturbations with azimuthal harmonic numbers l> or =2 are the most unstable modes. Moreover, the fundamental mode (l=1) is completely stabilized whenever the conducting wall is sufficiently close to the plasma boundary. The ion resonance stability properties are also investigated, including the interaction of the beam electrons with the plasma ions. It is shown that the instability domain for the ion resonance instability extends to large values of axial wavenumber k/sub z/ for high harmonic numbers l.
- Research Organization:
- Naval Surface Weapons Center, White Oak, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- OSTI ID:
- 5658703
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 23:4; ISSN PFLDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
BEAMS
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
CONFIGURATION
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ENERGY RANGE
EQUATIONS
INSTABILITY
ION WAVE INSTABILITY
LEPTON BEAMS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
NORMAL-MODE ANALYSIS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA WAVES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
STABILITY