Arbitrary amplitude Langmuir solitons in a relativistic electron–positron plasma

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AbstractThe arbitrary amplitude Langmuir solitons are investigated in an unmagnetized, warm, relativistic plasma, consisting of electrons and positrons. Both the species are considered to have equal non-relativistic temperatures, but can have arbitrary relativistic drift speeds, and their dynamics are governed by fluid equations. Using the Sagdeev psuedo-potential approach, the effects of drift speed, Mach number, and thermal temperature on the amplitude and width of the Langmuir solitons are investigated. For the parameters considered, only rarefactive solitons are found. These solitons represent dip in electron density or electron holes in the configuration space. Existence domain of the Langmuir solitons is limited by the minimum and maximum Mach numbers for given parameters. An increase in the electron (positron) temperature leads to an increase in the Langmuir soliton amplitude and their half-widths. On the other hand, increasing the electron (positron) drift speeds results in decreasing soliton amplitudes and their half-widths. For some typical parameters corresponding to the pulsar magnetosphere, namely electron density ~106 cm−3 and electron thermal velocity of one-tenth of the velocity of light, the electric field of the Langmuir solitons can be of the order of (3–24)kV/m. The presence of such large amplitude electrostatic solitary structures may accelerate electrons and positrons and also produce fine structures of (1–5) microseconds in pulsar radio emissions.