Modulational instability of ion-acoustic waves in a plasma with a q-nonextensive electron velocity distribution

Abstract

The modulational instability (MI) of ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) in a two-component plasma is investigated in the context of the nonextensive statistics proposed by Tsallis [J. Stat. Phys. 52, 479 (1988)]. Using the reductive perturbation method, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) which governs the MI of the IAWs is obtained. The presence of the nonextensive electron distribution is shown to influence the MI of the waves. Three different ranges of the nonextensive q-parameter are considered and in each case the MI sets in under different conditions. Furthermore, the effects of the q-parameter on the growth rate of MI are discussed in detail.