The separation of ions and fluxes in nonlinear ion-acoustic waves

Abstract

The multispecies plasma of natural or laboratory origin is often considered to host nonlinear ion-acoustic waves. We present calculations of ion fluxes induced by nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a plasma consisting of multiple ion populations, electrons, and dust. The following plasma models are considered: an electron-ion plasma with cold ions, a bi-ion plasma with two types of warm positively charged ions, and a dusty bi-ion plasma. It is found that in the electron-ion plasma, the wave-induced ion flux is directed oppositely to the phase speed of the nonlinear ion-acoustic wave. In the bi-ion plasma, there are two modes of ion-acoustic waves which are fast and slow waves. In the nonlinear fast ion-acoustic wave, the fluxes of both types of ions are found to be codirected and drift against the wave. In a slow wave, the nonlinear fluxes of ions are directed in opposite directions. This result demonstrates the possibility to use these nonlinear wave-induced ion fluxes for effective separation of ions in the plasma. In a dusty bi-ion plasma, the ion separation process can be intensified by a supernonlinear regime of slow ion-acoustic waves.