Transverse instability magnetic field thresholds of electron phase-space holes
Abstract
A detailed comparison is presented of analytical and particle-in-cell simulation investigation of the transverse instability, in two dimensions, of initially one-dimensional electron phase-space hole equilibria. Good quantitative agreement is found between the shift-mode analysis and the simulations for the magnetic field (B ) threshold at which the instability becomes overstable (time oscillatory) and for the real and imaginary parts of the frequency. The simulation B threshold for full stabilization exceeds the predictions of shift-mode analysis by 20-30%, because the mode becomes substantially narrower in spatial extent than a pure shift. This threshold shift is qualitatively explained by the kinematic mechanism of instability.
- Publication:
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Physical Review E
- Pub Date:
- May 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevE.99.053209
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1901.06717
- Bibcode:
- 2019PhRvE..99e3209H
- Keywords:
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- Physics - Plasma Physics;
- Physics - Space Physics
- E-Print:
- 6 figures