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Title: Ion-acoustic solitons, double layers and supersolitons in a plasma with two ion- and two electron species

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928884· OSTI ID:22490052
;  [1];  [2]
  1. South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Space Science, P. O. Box 32, Hermanus 7200 (South Africa)
  2. University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville 7535 (South Africa)

The polarity of ion-acoustic solitons that arise in a plasma with two (same mass, different temperature) ion species and two (different temperature) electron species is investigated. Two different fluid models are compared. The first model treats all species as adiabatic fluids, while the second model treats the ion species as adiabatic, and the electron species as isothermal. Nonlinear structures are analysed via the reductive perturbation analysis and pseudo-potential analysis. Each model supports both slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons, associated with the two (slow and fast) ion-acoustic speeds. The models support both positive and negative polarity solitons associated with the slow ion-acoustic speed. Moreover, results are in good agreement, and both models support positive and negative polarity double layers. For the fast ion-acoustic speed, the first model supports only positive polarity solitons, while the second model supports solitons of both polarity, coexistence of positive and negative polarity solitons, double layers and supersolitons. A novel feature of our analysis is the evaluation of nonlinear structures at critical number densities where polarity changes occur. This analysis shows that solitons that occur at the acoustic speed are neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the phenomenon of coexistence. The relationship between the existence regions of supersolitons and soliton polarity is also discussed.

OSTI ID:
22490052
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English