Effects of Bunched Ion Bursts on Apparent Nonlinear Ion Acoustic Waves

Abstract

The bunching effects of ions at the excitation grid in a typical ion acoustic wave experiment are examined by applying the generalized quasilinear theory of Al'tshul and Karpman to a simple model of the grid-plasma system. The resulting bunched ion bursts exhibit amplitude modulation at a distance far from the grid. The characteristics of this amplitude modulation appear to be similar to the recently observed results of Sato, Ikezi, Takahasi and Yamashita. who interpreted their results in terms of nonlinear Landau damping of ion acoustic waves.