Lagrangian description of nonlinear dust-ion acoustic waves in dusty plasmas

An analytical model is presented for the description of nonlinear dust-ion-acoustic waves propagating in an unmagnetized, collisionless, three component plasma composed of electrons, ions and inertial dust grains. The formulation relies on a Lagrangian approach of the plasma fluid model. The modulational stability of the wave amplitude is investigated. Different types of localized envelope electrostatic excitations are shown to exist.

Nonlinear Lagrangian theory of envelope electrostatic plasma waves in a two-electron-temperature plasma

An analytical model based on Lagrangian variables is presented for the description of ion-acoustic waves propagating in an unmagnetized, collisionless, three-component plasma composed of inertial positive ions and two thermalized electron populations, characterized by different temperatures. The wave's amplitude is shown to be modulationally unstable. Different types of localized envelope electrostatic excitations are shown to exist, and their forms are analytically and numerically investigated in terms of the plasma dispersion and nonlinearity laws. These results are in qualitative agreement with satellite observations in the magnetosphere. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Nonlinear modulation of ion-acoustic waves in two-electron-temperature plasmas

The amplitude modulation of ion-acoustic waves IS investigated in a plasma consisting of adiabatic warm ions, and two different populations of thermal electrons at different temperatures. The fluid equations are reduced to nonlinear Schrodinger equation by employing a multi-scale perturbation technique. A linear stability analysis for the wave packet amplitude reveals that long wavelengths are always stable, while modulational instability sets in for shorter wavelengths. It is shown that increasing the value of the hot-to-cold electron temperature ratio (mu), for a given value of the hot-to-cold electron density ratio (nu): favors instability. The role of the ion temperature is also discussed. In the limiting case nu = 0 (or nu -> infinity). which correspond(s) to an ordinary (single) electron-ion plasma, the results of previous works are recovered.

Fully kinetic simulation of ion acoustic and dust-ion acoustic waves

A series of numerical simulations is presented, based on a recurrence-free Vlasov kinetic model using kinetic phase point trajectories. All plasma components are modeled kinetically via a Vlasov evolution equation, then coupled through Poisson’s equation. The dynamics of ion acoustic waves in an electron-ion and in a dusty (electron-ion-dust) plasma configuration are investigated, focusing on wave decay due to Landau damping and, in particular, on the parametric dependence of the damping rate on the dust concentration and on the electron-to-ion temperature ratio. In the absence of dust, the occurrence of damping was observed, as expected, and its dependence to the relative magnitude of the electron vs ion temperature(s) was investigated. When present, the dust component influences the charge balance, enabling dust-ion acoustic waves to survive Landau damping even in the extreme regime where Te???Ti. The Landau damping rate is shown to be minimized for a strong dust concentration or/and for a high value of the electron-to-ion temperature ratio. Our results confirm earlier theoretical considerations and contribute to the interpretation of experimental observations of dust-ion acoustic wave characteristics.

A Schamel equation for ion acoustic waves in superthermal plasmas

An investigation of the propagation of ion acoustic waves in nonthermal plasmas in the presence of trapped electrons has been undertaken. This has been motivated by space and laboratory plasma observations of plasmas containing energetic particles, resulting in long-tailed distributions, in combination with trapped particles, whereby some of the plasma particles are confined to a finite region of phase space. An unmagnetized collisionless electron-ion plasma is considered, featuring a non-Maxwellian-trapped electron distribution, which is modelled by a kappa distribution function combined with a Schamel distribution. The effect of particle trapping has been considered, resulting in an expression for the electron density. Reductive perturbation theory has been used to construct a KdV-like Schamel equation, and examine its behaviour. The relevant configurational parameters in our study include the superthermality index κ and the characteristic trapping parameter β. A pulse-shaped family of solutions is proposed, also depending on the weak soliton speed increment u₀. The main modification due to an increase in particle trapping is an increase in the amplitude of solitary waves, yet leaving their spatial width practically unaffected. With enhanced superthermality, there is a decrease in both amplitude and width of solitary waves, for any given values of the trapping parameter and of the incremental soliton speed. Only positive polarity excitations were observed in our parametric investigation. 

Excitation of surface plasma waves in crossed electric and magnetic fields

The efficiency of the excitation of surface plasma waves in the presence of external, steady crossed magnetic and electric fields is studied analytically and numerically for a geometry in which the waves propagate along the interface between a plasma-like medium and a metal in the direction transverse to both fields. The magnetic and electric fields are assumed to be parallel and transverse to the interface, respectively. The condition for which the drift instability of the surface wave arises is found.

Korteweg-de Vries equation for the propagation of fast ion-acoustic waves in multi-dimensions

Abstract is not available.

Oblique amplitude modulation of dust-acoustic plasma waves

Theoretical and numerical studies are presented of the nonlinear amplitude modulation of dust-acoustic (DA) waves propagating in an unmagnetized three component, weakly-coupled, fully ionized plasma consisting of electrons, positive ions and charged dust particles, considering perturbations oblique to the carrier wave propagation direction. The stability analysis, based on a nonlinear Schrodinger-type equation (NLSE), shows that the wave may become unstable; the stability criteria depend on the angle theta between the modulation and propagation directions. Explicit expressions for the instability rate and threshold have been obtained in terms of the dispersion laws of the system. The possibility and conditions for the existence of different types of localized excitations have also been discussed.

Electron-acoustic plasma waves: Oblique modulation and envelope solitons

Theoretical and numerical studies are presented of the amplitude modulation of electron-acoustic waves (EAWs) propagating in space plasmas whose constituents are inertial cold electrons, Boltzmann distributed hot electrons, and stationary ions. Perturbations oblique to the carrier EAW propagation direction have been considered. The stability analysis, based on a nonlinear Schrodinger equation, reveals that the EAW may become unstable; the stability criteria depend on the angle theta between the modulation and propagation directions. Different types of localized EA excitations are shown to exist.