Solitons and beam reflection in an ion-beam plasma system

Abstract

Reflection and acceleration of resonant particles by solitons have been studied numerically in an ion-beam plasma system based on a hybrid code. A soliton whose velocity is less than the beam velocity is amplified first in a self-similar way because of the beam bunching up to the onset of reflection and then is supplied with energy lost by the reflected beam. The soliton is saturated by emission of a baby soliton, which in turn grows again until it emits another baby soliton. These processes repeat themselves. A soliton with a velocity larger than that of the beam initiates beam acceleration. The beam reflection associated with the collision processes of solitons is also observed.