Langmuir Frequency Research Articles

High-frequency waves in plasma formed as a result of tunnel ionization of atoms by circularly polarized radiation

New dependencies of frequency and damping decrement of high-frequency longitudinal waves on the wave vector in photoionized plasma formed by tunnel ionization of atoms in the field of circularly polarized radiation are found. Weakly damped longitudinal waves with a frequency much higher than the electron Langmuir frequency are predicted.

Extraordinary spin-electron acoustic wave

The extraordinary waves in spin-1/2 quantum plasma are studied. The evolutions of spin-up and spin-down electrons are considered separately. Hence, the separate spin evolution quantum hydrodynamics is used as the tool of research. It is demonstrated that the spin polarization of electrons modifies the spectrum of the lower extraordinary wave (LEW). An increase of the frequency at the large wave vector due to the spin modified Fermi pressure is found for the cyclotron frequency smaller than the Langmuir frequency. Existence of the extraordinary spin electron acoustic wave (SEAW) is demonstrated. Spectrum of the extraordinary SEAW is calculated. This spectrum is located below the spectrum of the LEW for the cyclotron frequency smaller than the Langmuir frequency and the spectrum located between spectrums of the upper extraordinary wave and the LEW for the cyclotron frequency larger than the Langmuir frequency. Presence of the extraordinary SEAW spectrum in the area usually occupied by the LEW spectrum decre...

REVISED MODEL OF THE STEADY-STATE SOLAR WIND HALO ELECTRON VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION

ABSTRACT A recent study discussed the steady-state model for solar wind electrons during quiet time conditions. The electrons emanating from the Sun are treated in a composite three-population model—the low-energy Maxwellian core with an energy range of tens of eV, the intermediate ∼102–103 eV energy-range (“halo”) electrons, and the high ∼103–105 eV energy-range (“super-halo”) electrons. In the model, the intermediate energy halo electrons are assumed to be in resonance with transverse EM fluctuations in the whistler frequency range (∼102 Hz), while the high-energy super-halo electrons are presumed to be in steady-state wave–particle resonance with higher-frequency electrostatic fluctuations in the Langmuir frequency range (∼105 Hz). A comparison with STEREO and WIND spacecraft data was also made. However, ignoring the influence of Langmuir fluctuations on the halo population turns out to be an unjustifiable assumption. The present paper rectifies the previous approach by including both Langmuir and whistler fluctuations in the construction of the steady-state velocity distribution function for the halo population, and demonstrates that the role of whistler-range fluctuation is minimal unless the fluctuation intensity is arbitrarily raised. This implies that the Langmuir-range fluctuations, known as the quasi thermal noise, are important for both halo and super-halo electron velocity distribution.

Exchange Interaction in a Degenerate Electron Gas: Contribution of Electrons with Opposite Spins, Found in One Quantum State

The contribution of the Coulomb exchange interaction between pairs of electrons found in one quantum state is calculated. For this case it is shown that in an unpolarized, degenerate, weakly nonideal electron gas the frequency of a Langmuir wave with zero wave vector is $$ \sqrt{3/2} $$ times greater than the Langmuir frequency. With increase of the spin polarization (with decrease of the number of pairs of electrons in one quantum state) the frequency shift decreases monotonically to zero.

Spontaneous emission of electromagnetic and electrostatic fluctuations in magnetized plasmas: Quasi-parallel modes

The present paper is devoted to the theoretical and numerical analysis of the spontaneously emitted electromagnetic fluctuations characterized by quasi-parallel wave vectors relative to the ambient magnetic field. The formulation is based upon the Klimontovich plasma kinetic theory. The comparative study is carried out between the spontaneously emitted field fluctuation spectrum constructed on the basis of a single Maxellian velocity distribution function (VDF) and the spectrum that arises from multi-component electron VDFs similar to those found in the solar wind. Typical solar wind electron VDF is composed of a Gaussian core and kappa distributions of halo and super-halo components. Of these, the halo and super-halo populations represent tenuous but energetic components. It is found that the energetic electrons make important contributions to the total emission spectrum. It is also found that the halo electrons are largely responsible for the emission spectrum in the whistler frequency range, whereas the more energetic super-halo electrons emit quasi-longitudinal fluctuations in the Langmuir frequency range, thus validating the recent quasi-steady state model of the solar wind electrons put forth by the present authors [Kim et al., Astrophys. J. 806, 32 (2015); Yoon et al., Astrophys. J. 812, 169 (2015)].

Simulation of a plasma antenna by PIC method

The numerical model of a plasma asymmetric dipole antenna is studied in this paper. This antenna consists of a dielectric tube with discharge plasma and a metal screen. The plasma in the tube is simulated by Particle-in-cell (PIC) method. The spectra of the electromagnetic field components were studied in the plasma and the near antenna field for various antenna operating modes. The operating modes depend on a ratio of a plasma frequency and a frequency of radiated electromagnetic wave. Langmuir frequency component was found in spectra within plasma for all antenna operating modes. The amplitude of this spectral component is greater than the amplitude of the component at the carrier frequency for nonradiative and non-linear modes. The biggest amplitude of the radiated signal spectrum is at the carrier frequency in the linear mode.

Phase-mixing of ion plasma modes in pair-ion plasmas

Nonlinear interaction between two electrostatic normal modes of a warm pair-ion plasma, viz., ion plasma mode (Langmuir mode) and ion acoustic mode has been analyzed by employing a perturbation technique. It is shown that a gradual loss of phase coherence in the excited Langmuir wave dynamics (phase-mixing) occurs in such a plasma, leading to wave-breaking at arbitrarily low wave amplitudes. Nonlinear results provide an approximate expression for the phase-mixing time which is found to increase with the increase of the ratio of acoustic frequency to Langmuir frequency. The results of our investigation are expected to be relevant to the laboratory produced paired fullerene-ion plasmas.

Nonlinear regime of electrostatic waves propagation in presence of electron-electron collisions

The effects are presented of including electron-electron collisions in self-consistent Eulerian simulations of electrostatic wave propagation in nonlinear regime. The electron-electron collisions are approximately modeled through the full three-dimensional Dougherty collisional operator [J. P. Dougherty, Phys. Fluids 7, 1788 (1964)]; this allows the elimination of unphysical byproducts due to reduced dimensionality in velocity space. The effects of non-zero collisionality are discussed in the nonlinear regime of the symmetric bump-on-tail instability and in the propagation of the so-called kinetic electrostatic electron nonlinear (KEEN) waves [T. W. Johnston et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 042105 (2009)]. For both cases, it is shown how collisions work to destroy the phase-space structures created by particle trapping effects and to damp the wave amplitude, as the system returns to the thermal equilibrium. In particular, for the case of the KEEN waves, once collisions have smoothed out the trapped particle population which sustains the KEEN fluctuations, additional oscillations at the Langmuir frequency are observed on the fundamental electric field spectral component, whose amplitude decays in time at the usual collisionless linear Landau damping rate.

Features of the Distribution Process of the Electromagnetic Field Frequency Components in the High-Frequency Torch Discharge Plasma

The measurements of axial harmonics distribution of the radial component of the electric field have been made for a torch discharge burning in argon and argon-air mixture. The resonant character of the electric field fourth harmonic attenuation has been found. Using the Saha formula for the two-temperature plasma the electrons concentration and the electrons Langmuir frequency of the investigated plasma discharge have been evaluated.

Visibility of Type III burst source location as inferred from stereoscopic space observations

Abstract. We study solar Type III radio bursts simultaneously observed by RPWS/Cassini, URAP/Ulysses and WAVES/Wind experiments. The observations allows us to cover a large frequency bandwidth from 16 MHz down to a few kHz. We consider the onset time of each burst, and estimate the corresponding intensity level. Also we measure the Langmuir frequency as observed on the dynamic spectra recorded by the Ulysses spacecraft. The distances of Wind, Ulysses and Cassini spacecraft, with regard to the Sun, were in the order of 1 AU, 2.4 AU and 4.5 AU, respectively. The spacecraft trajectories were localized in the ecliptic plane in the case of Wind and Cassini, and for Ulysses in the southern hemisphere (i.e. heliocentric latitude higher than −50°). Despite the different locations, the spectral patterns of the selected solar bursts are found to be similar between 10 MHz and 2 MHz but unalike at lower frequency. We discuss the variation of the intensity level as recorded by the three spacecraft. We show that the reception system of each experiment affected the way the Type III burst intensity is measured. Also we attempt to estimate the electron beam along the interplanetary magnetic field where the trajectory is an Archimedean spiral. This leads us to infer on the visibility of the source location with regard to the spacecraft position.

Double Langmuir frequency radiation due to transformation processes in turbulent plasma

We investigate the transformation process of longitudinal Langmuir wave into the transverse electromagnetic wave in turbulent plasma subjected to an upper hybrid pump. The case, when upper hybrid pump wave decays into daughter and ion – sound waves is considered. The transformation of the Langmuir wave into electromagnetic one is considered as the possible mechanism of energy radiation from the plasma. It is shown that the frequency of such radiation is chosen to be near double electron Langmuir frequency 2ωpe. These results give us the possibility to explain the nature of radiation from the laboratory and cosmic plasmas (particularly, from the solar crown).

Gravitational Effects on Plasma Waves in Environment of Sun and Neutron Star

Local plasma phenomena in environment of Sun are observed closely by spacecrafts in recent years. We provide a new method to apply general relativity to astro-plasma physics in small local area. The relativistic dispersion relations of Langmuir, electromagnetic and cyclotron waves are obtained. The red shifts of Langmuir and cyclotron frequencies are given analytically. A new equilibrium velocity distribution of particles soaked in local gravitational field is suggested. The gravitational effect of a neutron star is also estimated.

Exchange effects in Coulomb quantum plasmas: Dispersion of waves in 2D and 3D quantum plasmas

We describe quantum hydrodynamic equations with the Coulomb exchange interaction for three and two dimensional plasmas. Explicit form of the force densities are derived. We present non-linear Schrödinger equations (NLSEs) for the Coulomb quantum plasmas with the exchange interaction. We show contribution of the exchange interaction in the dispersion of the Langmuir, and ion-acoustic waves. We consider influence of the spin polarization ratio on strength of the Coulomb exchange interaction. This is important since exchange interaction between particles with same spin direction and particles with opposite spin directions are different. At small particle concentrations n0≪1025cm−3 and small polarization the exchange interaction gives small decrease of the Fermi pressure. With increase of polarization role the exchange interaction becomes more important, so that it can overcome the Fermi pressure. The exchange interaction also decreases contribution of the Langmuir frequency. Ion-acoustic waves do not exist in limit of large polarization since the exchange interaction changes the sign of pressure. At large particle concentrations n0≫1025cm−3 the Fermi pressure prevails over the exchange interaction for all polarizations. We obtain a similar picture for two dimensional quantum plasmas.

Sub-terahertz emission from solar flares: The plasma mechanism of chromospheric emission

We consider the plasma mechanism of sub-terahertz emission from solar flares and determine the conditions for its realization in the solar atmosphere. The source is assumed to be localized at the chromospheric footpoints of coronal magnetic loops, where the electron density should reach n ≈ 1015 cm−3. This requires chromospheric heating at heights h ⩾ 500 km to coronal temperatures, which provides a high degree of ionization needed for Langmuir frequencies ν p ≈ 200–400 GHz and reduces the bremsstrahlung absorption of the sub-THz emission as it escapes from the source. The plasma wave excitation threshold for electron-ion collisions imposes a constraint on the lower density limit for energetic electrons in the source, n 1 > 4 × 109 cm−3. The generation of emission at the plasma frequency harmonic ν ≈ 2ν p rather than the fundamental tone turns out to be preferred. We show that the electron acceleration and plasma heating in the sub-THz emission source can be realized when the ballooning mode of the flute instability develops at the chromospheric footpoints of a flare loop. The flute instability leads to the penetration of external chromospheric plasma into the loop and causes the generation of an inductive electric field that efficiently accelerates the electrons and heats the chromosphere in situ. We show that the ultraviolet radiation from the heated chromosphere emerging in this case does not exceed the level observed during flares.

Excitation of electron Langmuir frequency harmonics in the solar atmosphere

An alternative mechanism for the excitation of electron Langmuir frequency harmonics as a result of the development of explosive instability in a weakly relativistic beam-plasma system in the solar atmosphere is proposed. The efficiency of the new mechanism as compared to the previously discussed ones is analyzed.

On the feasibility of electron cyclotron heating of overcritical plasma in a magnetic mirror trap

The feasibility of matching electromagnetic radiation in the electron cyclotron frequency range to a dense plasma in an open magnetic trap by producing an inverted (with a minimum on the axis) plasma density profile is discussed. The use of such a profile shows promise for the implementation of efficient cyclotron heating at plasma densities above the critical density, at which the Langmuir frequency is equal to the heating radiation frequency. Examples of the magnetic field and plasma density distributions in a mirror trap are presented for which analysis of the beam trajectories shows the feasibility of efficient electron cyclotron absorption of microwave beams in overcritical plasma.

Anomalous ISR echoes preceding auroral breakup: Evidence for strong Langmuir turbulence

Experimental results obtained with the 449‐MHz Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) show unusual features in both the ion line and plasma line measurements during an auroral breakup event. The features are a greatly enhanced flat ion acoustic spectrum (believed to indicate the presence of an additional peak at zero Doppler), and two peaks in the plasma line spectrum. Similar spectral morphologies are observed during active HF ionospheric modification experiments and are considered unmistakable indications of Strong Langmuir Turbulence (SLT). In SLT theory, the central peak in ion acoustic spectrum is caused by Bragg scattering from non‐propagating density fluctuations (cavitons), and the two peaks in the plasma line spectrum are associated with (1) Langmuir waves trapped in the cavitons, at the cold plasma frequency, and (2) a “free mode” at the Langmuir frequency. Free modes are radiated Langmuir waves from collapsing cavitons that follow the linear dispersion relation. The observed turbulence was confined to a thin layer (∼10‐km) centered at ∼230 km altitude.

Electromagnetic radiation from a plasma slab during the development of Weibel instability

Electromagnetic radiation from an anisotropic plasma slab formed by ionization of matter in the field of a high-power femtosecond pulse is studied. It is shown that the growth of initial field perturbations in the course of Weibel instability is accompanied by the generation of nonmonochromatic radiation with a characteristic frequency on the order of the instability growth rate. It is found that perturbations with characteristic scale lengths less than or on the order of the ratio of the speed of light to the Langmuir frequency are excited and radiated most efficiently, provided that the slab is thicker than this ratio.

Nonlinear excitation of zonal flows and streamers in plasmas

Nonlinear excitation of zonal flows and streamers in plasmas is considered. The emphasis is given to the nonlinear interaction of low- and high-frequency drift waves which can result in the excitation of zonal flows and streamers in a plasma of fusion devices. For this purpose, an inhomogeneous nonisothermal plasma in a strong external magnetic field whose characteristic frequencies are lower than the ion Langmuir frequency but higher than the collision frequency is studied. The excitation of a long-wavelength low-frequency drift wave during the development of the nonlinear modulational interaction of a high-frequency drift pump wave is investigated. The growth rates of the modulational instability are obtained, and the conditions for its development are determined. Self-organized structures described by solutions of evolutionary equations for the modulational interaction are associated with zonal flows and streamers. A possible relation of the modulational interaction in Earth’s ionospheric plasma to the formation of dust flows and transport of dust particles in the ionosphere is also discussed. It is shown that one of the ways of transport of dust particles in the ionosphere is vertical flows (streamers), which are generated by dust vortices as a result of development of the modulational instability.

On the analogy of stability of tangential discontinuities in hydrodynamics and in nonisothermal collisionless plasma

Analogy between stability of tangential discontinuities in an ideal liquid in conventional hydrodynamics and in collisionless nonisothermal plasma with T e ≫ T i is shown. The difference is due to specific features of dispersion of ion sound waves in nonisothermal plasma in the short-wavelength range, in which the lasma quasineutrality is violated and the dispersion curve tends to the ion Langmuir frequency.