Stagnation of electron flow by a nonlinearly generated whistler wave
Abstract
Relativistic electron beam transport through a high-density, magnetized plasma is studied numerically and theoretically. An electron beam injected into a cold plasma excites Weibel and two-stream instabilities that heat the beam and saturate. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, the heated beam continues to propagate. However, when a magnetic field of particular strength is applied along the direction of beam propagation, a secondary instability of off-angle whistler modes is excited. These modes then couple nonlinearly creating a large amplitude parallel-propagating whistler that stops the beam. Here, we will show these phenomena in detail and explain the mechanism of whistler mediated beam stagnation.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Plasma Physics
- Pub Date:
- April 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0022377817000204
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1608.08867
- Bibcode:
- 2017JPlPh..83b9004T
- Keywords:
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- fusion plasma;
- intense particle beams;
- plasma instabilities;
- Physics - Plasma Physics
- E-Print:
- 9 pages, 3 figures