Potential set up by a point charge oscillating in magnitude in an inhomogeneous plasma

Abstract

Calculates the scalar potential set up by a point charge fixed in position but oscillating in magnitude in an inhomogeneous plane- stratified cold plasma with no magnetic field. In the absence of collisions, this potential is infinite in the plane where the angular plasma frequency Pi e equals the angular frequency omega 0 of the oscillating charge and is finite elsewhere, except when the plane in question contains the source: then the potential is infinite everywhere. If one observes the potential at a given point while omega 0 is varied, then one finds in general that it becomes infinite when omega 0 is equal either to the value of Pi e at the source of to its value at the point of observation. In the presence of collisions the potential always stays finite and the inhomogeneity of the medium then appears as an additional cause of damping of the resonances.