Intermittency, bursty turbulence, and ion and electron phase-space holes formation in collisionless current-carrying plasmas
In the previous studies of nonlinear saturation of the Buneman instability caused by high electron drift velocity relative to ions, the phase-space holes and the plateau on the electron velocity distribution function were identified as features of the saturation stage of instability [notably in the paper by Omura et al., J. Geophys. Res. 108, 1197 (2003)]. We have performed a much longer simulation of the Buneman instability and observed a secondary instability. This secondary instability generates fast electron-acoustic waves. By analyzing the phase-space plot of ions and electrons, we show that the fast electron heating and the formation of the plateau of electron velocity distribution function are not due to the quasi-linear diffusion but due to the nonlinear interaction of ion- and electron-acoustic solitary waves (phase-space holes) by exchange of trapped electrons in each wave. We also report the details on the intermittent and bursty nature of turbulence driven by this instability.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-09CH11466
- OSTI ID:
- 2567800
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 31; ISSN 1070-664X
- Publisher:
- American Institute of PhysicsCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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