Collisions of ion-acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with negative ions

Abstract

Head-on collisions of rarefactive ion-acoustic solitary waves and head-on collisions of compressive ion-acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with negative ions are considered. It is shown that such collisions at large amplitudes of the colliding waves lead to a decrease in their amplitudes after the collision. Physical phenomena leading to a loss of energy and a corresponding decrease in the amplitude of the wave after a collision are considered. The phenomenon of wave breaking is studied and the breaking amplitude is determined. The formation of ion-acoustic solitary waves with trapped ions is described. Such a wave, unlike ordinary ion-acoustic solitary waves, transfers not only momentum and energy, but also matter. It is shown that ion-acoustic solitary waves of large amplitudes in a plasma with negative ions cannot be classified as ion-acoustic solitons.