Modulation of the reflected signal due to a nonlinear surface charge excited on a plasma boundary by an electromagnetic beam

Abstract

The description of the nonlinear surface charge was supplemented by an equation linking the distortion of the surface shape of the plasma boundary with the characteristics of the motion of electrons in this region for the selected type of external influence. As a result, it became possible to study the interrelated appearance and development of these two effects in conditions of commonality of processes that cause their occurrence. On a simple example when a flat boundary of a cold plasma interacts with intense electromagnetic radiation, it was shown that there is development of non linear surface charge, which results in change of the surface curvature and causes fluctuations in the amplitude of the reflected wave. The “shallow water theory” has been used for the derivation of the equation which to link the spatial and temporal structures and evolution of surface charge and curvature, which affect the reflected wave. Both qualitative and numerical analyses have been performed.