Coupling of "cold" electron plasma wave via stationary ion inhomogeneity to the plasma bulk

Abstract

Using high resolution kinetic (VPPM-OMP 1.0) and fluid (BOUT++) solvers, evolution of long-wavelength electron plasma wave (EPW) in the presence of stationary periodic ion background non-uniformity is investigated. Mode coupling dynamics between long-wavelength EPW mode of scale k and ion inhomogeneity of scale $k_0$ is illustrated. Validity of well known Bessel function $J_n(x)$ scaling in the cold plasma approximation (i.e., when phase velocity $\omega /k>>v_{thermal}$) along-with the effect of ion inhomogeneity amplitude (A) on temporal evolution of energy density in the long-wavelength EPW mode is investigated. Effect of finite system sizes on the Bessel $J_n(x)$ scaling is examined and scaling law for ${\tau }_{FM}$ i.e the time required to attain first minimum of energy density of the corresponding perturbed mode (also called phase mixing time for $k\sim 0$ modes) versus ion inhomogeneity amplitude A obtained from both kinetic and fluid solutions for each of the cases studied, along-with some major differences in ${\tau }_{FM}$ scaling for small system sizes is also reported.