Invariant imbedding theory of mode conversion in inhomogeneous plasmas: I. Exact calculation of the mode conversion coefficient in cold, unmagnetized plasmas

Abstract

This is the first of a series of papers devoted to the development of the invariant imbedding theory of mode conversion in inhomogeneous plasmas. A new version of the invariant imbedding theory of wave propagation in inhomogeneous media allows one to solve a wide variety of coupled wave equations exactly and efficiently, even in the cases where the material parameters change discontinuously at the boundaries and inside the inhomogeneous medium. In this paper, the invariant imbedding method is applied to the mode conversion of the simplest kind, that is the conversion of $p$-polarized electromagnetic waves into electrostatic modes in cold, unmagnetized plasmas. The mode conversion coefficient and the field distribution are calculated exactly for linear and parabolic plasma density profiles and compared quantitatively with previous results.

arXiv comment8 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Physics of Plasmas

References in corpus (2)

• Theory of the propagation of coupled waves in arbitrarily-inhomogeneous stratified media
• Reflection coefficient and localization length of waves in one-dimensional random media

Cited by in corpus (11)

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• Resonant absorption of electromagnetic waves in transition anisotropic media
• Mode conversion and resonant absorption in inhomogeneous materials with flat bands
• Universal scaling behavior of resonant absorption
• Mode conversion of extraordinary waves in stratified plasmas with an external magnetic field perpendicular to the directions of inhomogeneity and wave propagation
• Scaling behavior of the localization length for TE waves at critical incidence on short-range correlated stratified random media
• Effects of background periodic flow on MHD fast wave propagation to a coronal loop