Electron acoustic solitons in a relativistic plasma with nonthermal electrons

Abstract

Electron acoustic solitary waves (EASWs) are studied using Sagdeev’s pseudopotential technique for a plasma comprising relativistic ions, cold relativistic electrons, and nonthermal hot electrons. The parametric range considered here is valid for the auroral zone. It is found that the present plasma model supports EASWs having negative potential. It is seen that the relativistic effect significantly restricts the region of existence for solitary waves. The region of existence of solitary waves also depends crucially on α, the parameter that determines the population of the energetic nonthermal electrons. For example, for α>0.18 with the soliton velocity 1.05 and u0c∕c=0.001, solitary wave solutions will not exist. We also find that for small values of α, solitary waves would exist for V<1.