Electrostatic Structure of the Electron Phase-space Holes Generated by the Electron Two-stream Instability with a Finite Width

Abstract

Space satellite observations in an electron phase-space hole (electron hole) have shown that bipolar structures are discovered at the parallel cut of parallel electric field, while unipolar structures spring from the parallel cut of perpendicular electric field. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations have demonstrated that the electron bi-stream instability induces several electron holes during its nonlinear evolution. However, how the unipolar structure of the parallel cut of the perpendicular electric field formed in these electron holes is still an unsolved problem, especially in a strongly magnetized plasma (<i>Ω</i>_e &gt; <i>ω</i>_pe, where <i>Ω</i>_e is defined as electron gyrofrequency and <i>ω</i>_pe is defined as plasma frequency, respectively). In this paper, with two-dimensional (2D) electrostatic PIC simulations, the evolution of the electron two-stream instability with a finite width in strongly magnetized plasma is investigated. Initially, those conditions lead to monochromatic electrostatic waves, and these waves coalesce with each other during their nonlinear evolution. At last, a solitary electrostatic structure is formed. In such an electron hole, a bipolar structure is formed in the parallel cut of parallel electric field, while a unipolar structure presents in the parallel cut of perpendicular electric field.