Discontinuous distributions in thermal plasmas
Plasma Physics
2015-05-13 v1
Abstract
We develop a new method for describing the dynamics of 3-dimensional thermal plasmas. Using a piecewise constant 1-particle distribution, we reduce the Vlasov equation to a generalized Lorentz force equation for a family of vector fields encoding the discontinuity. By applying this equation to longitudinal electrostatic plasma oscillations, and coupling it to Maxwell's equations, we obtain a limit on the magnitude of the electric field in relativistic thermal plasma oscillations. We derive an upper bound on the limit and discuss its applicability in a background magnetic field.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0906.1096,
title = {Discontinuous distributions in thermal plasmas},
author = {D. A. Burton and A. Noble and H. Wen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0906.1096},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
13 pages. In form submitted to Il Nuovo Cimento C in November 2008. Final form to appear in Il Nuovo Cimento C