Plasma electron hole kinematics. I. Momentum conservation

We analyse the kinematic properties of a plasma electron hole: a non-linear self-sustained localized positive electric potential perturbation, trapping electrons, which behaves as a coherent entity. When a hole accelerates or grows in depth, ion and electron plasma momentum is changed both within th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of plasmas 2016-08, Vol.23 (8)
Main Authors: Hutchinson, I. H., Zhou, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Activation
Computer simulation
Conservation
conservation of momentum
cumulative distribution functions
electric fields
electron hole plasma
Electron plasma
electrostatic structures
Holes (electron deficiencies)
ion trapping
Kinematics
Maxwell equations
Momentum
plasma nonlinear phenomena
Plasma physics
speed of sound
Trapping
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Summary:We analyse the kinematic properties of a plasma electron hole: a non-linear self-sustained localized positive electric potential perturbation, trapping electrons, which behaves as a coherent entity. When a hole accelerates or grows in depth, ion and electron plasma momentum is changed both within the hole and outside, by an energization process we call jetting. We present a comprehensive analytic calculation of the momentum changes of an isolated general one-dimensional hole. The conservation of the total momentum gives the hole's kinematics, determining its velocity evolution. Our results explain many features of the behavior of hole speed observed in numerical simulations, including self-acceleration at formation, and hole pushing and trapping by ion streams.
ISSN:1070-664X
1089-7674
DOI:10.1063/1.4959870