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Solitons in an ion-beam plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

G. P. Zank  and
J. F. McKenzie
G. P. Zank
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Natal, King George V Avenue, Durban, Republic of South Africa
J. F. McKenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Natal, King George V Avenue, Durban, Republic of South Africa
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Abstract

It is shown that the conservation law for total momentum of an ion-beam plasma system can be cast in the form of a classical energy integral of a particle in a potential well. By using boundary conditions appropriate to a solitary pulse, we derive conditions for the existence of finite-amplitude solitons propagating in the system. Under suitable conditions, as many as three forward-propagating solitary waves can exist. It is interesting to note that the criterion for their existence is intimately related to the absence of convective instabilities in an ion-beam plasma. Exact ‘sech2’ type solutions are available in the weakly nonlinear regime. Solitary-wave profiles for the general case are obtained numerically.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , April 1988 , pp. 183 - 191
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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References

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