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Instability and damping of one-dimensional large-amplitude plasma waves

Journal Article · · Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)
OSTI ID:5865066
Numerical simulations have been carried out by the particle-in-cell method for the instability and damping of one-dimensional plasma waves in the region E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nT>m/M>(k/sub 0/r/sub d/)/sup 2/. The simulations were carried out over a broad range of initial wave properties E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nTapprox.4 x 10/sup -2/--10/sup 2/, v/sub Phi//v/sub T/approx.3--160, and M/m = 10/sup 2/ or, in certain cases, M/m = 10/sup 3/. The most important processes are the modulational instability, with a modulation length shorter than the wavelength; wave conversion at a density inhomogeneity (the process l/sub k//sub 0/+s/sub k//sub i/ ..-->.. l/sub k//sub 0//sub plus-or-minusbetak//sub i/, where ..beta.. = 1, 2, 3, . . .); and the trapping of electrons by the wave or by its harmonics. One or another of these processes will be predominant, depending on the initial properties of the wave. In the region of linear waves, E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nT<10/sup -3//(k/sub 0/r/sub d/)/sup 2/, the modulational instability is predominant; in the region E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nTk/sub 0/r/sub d/ it leads to collapse. All three processes play comparable roles in the region 4 x l0/sup -2//(k/sub 0/r/sub d/)/sup 2/>E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nT>10/sup -3// (k/sub 0/r/sub d/)/sup 2/. In the strong-damping region, E/sup 2//sub 0//8..pi..nT>4 x 10/sup -2//(k/sub 0/r/sub d/)/sup 2/ the leading role is played by the trapping of electrons by the wave, which results in a damping much stronger than Landau damping.
Research Organization:
Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Academy of Sciences of the USSR
OSTI ID:
5865066
Journal Information:
Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 7:2; ISSN SJPPD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English