Structure of ion acoustic solitons and shock waves in a two component plasma

摘要

Time-independent solitary waves and shocks were investigated in a two-component plasma using a fluid model and kinetic theory. It was found that very small concentrations of a light ion can alter the structure, changing the potential maximum by an order of magnitude. The downstream oscillatory structure normally seen in a shock is completely quenched by dissipation due to light ion reflection at concentrations of 3 to 8% in an argon plasma for typical T sub e/T sub i and Mach number values.