Home
For authors
Submission status

Current
Archive (English)
Archive
   Volumes 81-92
   Volumes 41-60
   Volumes 21-40
   Volumes 1-20
   Volumes 61-80
      Volume 80
      Volume 79
      Volume 78
      Volume 77
      Volume 76
      Volume 75
      Volume 74
      Volume 73
      Volume 72
      Volume 71
      Volume 70
      Volume 69
      Volume 68
      Volume 67
      Volume 66
      Volume 65
      Volume 64
      Volume 63
      Volume 62
      Volume 61
Search
VOLUME 77 (2003) | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 778
Trapping of plasmons in ion holes
PACS: 52.35.-g, 94.30.Tz
Abstract
We present analytical and numerical studies of a new electron plasma wave interaction mechanism which reveals trapping of Langmuir waves in ion holes associated with non-isothermal ion distribution functions. This Langmuir-ion hole interaction is a unique kinetic phenomenon, which is governed by two second nonlinear differential equations in which the Langmuir wave electric field and ion hole potential are coupled in a complex fashion. Numerical analyses of our nonlinearly coupled differential equations exhibit trapping of localized Langmuir wave envelops in the ion hole which is either standing or moving with sub- or super ion thermal speed. The resulting ambipolar potential of the ion hole is essentially negative, giving rise to bipolar slow electric fields. The present investigation thus offers a new Langmuir wave contraction scenario that has not been rigorously explored in plasma physics.