Ion-acoustic solutions and shock waves in multicomponent plasmas

The present investigation of ion-acoustic waves is based on the study of the nonlinearity of plasma waves in a dispersive medium. The study concerns ion-acoustic solitary waves in a warm ion plasma with nonisothermal electrons. Results for solitary waves in a plasma with isothermal electrons are also obtained. Incorporating previous results from the solitary wave solutions leads to a generalization of the effect of negative ions on ion-acoustic waves in plasmas consisting of either a warm or cold ion species. A reflection phenomenon of ions in these waves is also studied.