Acoustic double layers in multispecies plasma
Abstract
The formation of acoustic double layers in the presence of two ion species is examined via a particle simulation in a 1D bounded system. The effect of having two ion components, an H(+) and an O(+) beam, on double-layer evolution from ion acoustic turbulence driven by an electron drift relative to the H(+) beam of about 0.5 u sub e, where u sub e is the electron thermal speed, is examined. It is found that acoustic double layers form in either ion species on a time scale of about 100 omega sub ps exp -1, where omega sub ps is the ion plasma frequency for species 's' and s = H or O, and for drifts relative to the electrons lower than that required for double layer formation in simulations of single ion component plasma.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
- Pub Date:
- December 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1109/27.199523
- Bibcode:
- 1992ITPS...20..745G
- Keywords:
-
- Ion Acoustic Waves;
- Magnetospheric Ion Density;
- Plasma Composition;
- Plasma Layers;
- Particle Acceleration;
- Plasma Drift;
- Plasma Turbulence;
- Geophysics