RESUMO
A one-dimensional particle in cell simulation of large amplitude plasma oscillations is carried out to explore the physics beyond wave breaking in a cold homogeneous unmagnetized plasma. It is shown that after wave breaking, all energy of the plasma oscillation does not end up as random kinetic energy of particles, but some fraction, which is decided by Coffey's wave breaking limit in warm plasma, always remains with two oppositely propagating coherent Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal like modes with supporting trapped particle distributions. The randomized energy distribution of untrapped particles is found to be characteristically non-Maxwellian with a preponderance of energetic particles.
Assuntos
Transporte de Elétrons , Modelos Químicos , Modelos Estatísticos , Gases em Plasma/química , Reologia/métodos , Simulação por Computador , Elétrons , GasesRESUMO
The breaking of longitudinal Akhiezer-Polovin (AP) waves is demonstrated using a one-dimensional simulation based on the Dawson sheet model. It is found that the AP longitudinal waves break through the process of phase mixing at an amplitude well below the breaking amplitude for AP waves, when subjected to arbitrarily small longitudinal perturbations. Results from the simulation show a good agreement with the Dawson phase mixing formula modified to include relativistic mass variation effects. This result may be of direct relevance to the laser- or particle-beam plasma wakefield experiments.
