Ion‐acoustic waves in a plasma with negative ions

Modulational Instability of Ion-Acoustic Waves in Pair-Ion Plasma

The modulational instability (MI) of ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) is examined theoretically in a four-component plasma system containing inertialess electrons featuring a non-thermal, non-extensive distribution, iso-thermal positrons, and positively as well as negatively charged inertial ions. In this connection, a non-linear Schrödinger equation (NLSE), which dominates the conditions for MI associated with IAWs, is obtained by using the reductive perturbation method. The numerical analysis of the NLSE reveals that the increment in non-thermality leads to a more unstable state, whereas the enhancement in non-extensivity introduces a less unstable state. It also signifies the bright (dark) ion-acoustic (IA) envelope solitons mode in the unstable (stable) domain. The conditions for MI and its growth rate in the unstable regime of the IAWs are vigorously modified by the different plasma parameters (viz., non-thermal, non-extensive q-distributed electron, iso-thermal positron, the ion charge state, the mass of the ion and positron, non-thermal parameter α, the temperature of electron and positron, etc.). Our findings may supplement and add to prior research in non-thermal, non-extensive electrons and iso-thermal positrons that can co-exist with positive as well as negative inertial ions.

Ion-Acoustic Rogue Waves in Double Pair Plasma Having Non-Extensive Particles

The modulational instability (MI) of ion-acoustic (IA) waves (IAWs) and associated IA rogue waves (IARWs) are studied in double-pair plasma containing inertial positive and negative ions, inertialess non-extensive electrons and iso-thermal positrons. A standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) is derived by employing reductive perturbation method. It can be seen from the numerical analysis that the plasma system supports both modulationally stable (unstable) parametric regime in which the dispersive and nonlinear coefficients of the NLSE have opposite (same) sign. It is also found that the basic features of IAWs (viz., MI criteria of IAWs, amplitude, and width of the IARWs, etc.) are rigorously changed by the plasma parameters such as mass, charge state, and number density of the plasma species. The outcomes of our present investigation should be useful in understanding the propagation of nonlinear electrostatic IAWs and associated IARWs in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.

Overtaking Collisions of Ion Acoustic N-Shocks in a Collisionless Plasma with Pair-Ion and (α,q) Distribution Function for Electrons

In this work, the effects of plasma parameters on overtaking collisions of ion acoustic multi-shocks are studied in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma with positive and negative ions, and (α,q)-distributed electrons. To investigate such phenomena, the reductive perturbation technique is implemented to derive the Burgers equation. The N-shock wave solution is determined for this equation by directly implementing the exponential function. The result reveals that both the amplitudes and thicknesses of overtaking collisions of N-shock wave compressive and rarefactive electrostatic potential are significantly modified with the influences of viscosity coefficients of positive and negative ions. In addition, the density ratios also play an essential role to the formation of overtaking collisions of N-shocks. It is observed from all theoretical and parametric investigations that the outcomes may be very useful in understanding the dynamical behavior of overtaking collisions of multi-shocks in various environments, especially the D- and F-regions of the Earth’s ionosphere and the future experimental investigations in Q-machine laboratory plasmas.

Simulation study on nonlinear structures in nonlinear dispersive media

In this work, the dynamic mechanism scenario of nonlinear electrostatic structures (unmodulated and modulated waves) that can propagate in multi-ion plasmas with the mixture of sulfur hexafluoride and argon gas is reported. For this purpose, the fluid equations of the multi-ion plasma species are reduced to the evolution (nonplanar Gardner) equation using the reductive perturbation technique. Until now, it has been known that the solution of nonplanar Gardner equation is not possible and for stimulating our data, it will solve numerically. At that point, the present study is divided into two parts: the first one is analyzing planar and nonplanar Gardner equations using the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) for investigating the unmodulated structures such as solitary waves. Moreover, a comparison between the analytical and numerical simulation solutions for the planar Gardner equation is examined, showing how powerful the ADM is in finding solutions in the short domain as well as its fast convergence, i.e., the approximate solution is consistent with the analytical solution for the planar Gardner equation after a few iterations. Second, the modulated envelope structures such as freak waves (FWs) are investigated in the framework of the Gardner equation by transforming this equation to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). Again, the ADM is used to solve the NLSE for studying FWs numerically. Furthermore, the effect of physical parameters of the plasma environment (e.g., Ar⁺-SF₅ ⁺-F^--SF₅ ^- plasma) on the characteristics of the nonlinear pulse profile is elaborated. These results help in a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of fluid physics governing the plasma processes.

High-resolution spectroscopy on the laser-cooling candidate La^{-}

The bound-bound transition from the 5d^{2}6s^{2} ^{3}F_{2}^{e} ground state to the 5d6s^{2}6p ^{3}D_{1}^{o} excited state in negative lanthanum has been proposed as a candidate for laser cooling, which has not yet been achieved for negative ions. Anion laser cooling holds the potential to allow the production of ultracold ensembles of any negatively charged species. We have studied the aforementioned transition in a beam of negative La ions by high-resolution laser spectroscopy. The center-of-gravity frequency was measured to be 96.592 80(10) THz. Seven of the nine expected hyperfine structure transitions were resolved. The observed peaks were unambiguously assigned to the predicted hyperfine transitions by a fit, confirmed by multiconfigurational self-consistent field calculations. From the determined hyperfine structure we conclude that La^{-} is a promising laser cooling candidate. Using this transition, only three laser beams would be required to repump all hyperfine levels of the ground state.

Plasma state transition originating from local production of massive negative ions

A dynamic evolution of plasma structures and its associated state transition due to local production of massive negative ions are investigated by the particle-in-cell simulation which is based on an experimental configuration of an open plasma system (Q machine). Two different states, a stationary state and a dynamic state, are achieved depending on the production rate of massive negative ions. The plasma is stationary for a low production rate, while solitary pulses and fluctuations are spontaneously excited and the plasma state is unstable for a high production rate. Phenomena of a two-stream instability and a double layer formation induced by the local production are closely concerned with the excitation of the solitary pulse. The solitary pulses play a role in the rapid ejection of massive negative ions from the system. A staying time distribution of charged particles is analogically introduced for the special convenience of explanation, which corresponds with a so-called population pyramid. The staying time distribution can clearly express the feature of the state since all the phenomena occurring in the system directly reflect the distribution.

Electrostatic shocks excited by velocity modulation of an ion beam in a plasma

Nonlinear evolutions of electrostatic shocks excited by a velocity-modulated ion beam along a magnetized plasma column are investigated by computer simulation for a Q-machine experiment. In the case of a beam velocity modulation, the perturbations grow spatially with subsequent saturation due to an ion bunching of the beam. With an increase in modulation ratio an electrostatic shock is formed, accompanied with a steepening of the propagating front. In the case of a beam density-modulation, however, the initial density jump decays simply. The velocity modulation method is quite effective for an excitation of electrostatic shocks in the Q-machine plasma with finite Landau damping. The simulation results using velocity modulation are consistent with the experimental results.

Pair-ion plasma generation using fullerenes

We have developed a novel method for generating pure pair plasma which consists of positive- and negative-charged particles with an equal mass. The pair-ion plasma without electrons is generated using fullerene as an ion source through the processes of hollow-electron-beam impact ionization, electron attachment, preferential radial diffusion of ions, and resultant electron separation in an axial magnetic field. Basic characteristics of this plasma are discussed in terms of the differences from ordinary electron-ion plasmas, such as a phenomenon in the absence of sheath and potential structure formation.