Ion boundary conditions in semi-infinite fluid models of electron beam-plasma interaction

Abstract

The modified Bohm criterion is derived for the plasma consisting of the monoenergetic electron beam and thermal electrons. This criterion allows us to define the accurate ion boundary conditions for semi-infinite collisionless fluid models of electron beam–plasma interaction. In the absence of electron beam, these boundary conditions give the classical sheath parameters. When the monoenergetic electron beam propagates through the plasma, the fluid model with proposed boundary conditions gives the results, which are in qualitative agreement with the results obtained earlier in M. Sharifian and B. Shokri, Phys. Plasmas 14, 093503 (2007). However, dynamics and parameters of the plasma sheath are different.