Linear two-stream instability of warm relativistic electron beams
R L Ferch; R N Sudan; R L Ferch; Lab. of Plasma Studies, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY, USA; R N Sudan; Lab. of Plasma Studies, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY, USA
Журнал:
Plasma Physics
Дата:
1975-11-01
Аннотация:
The linear dispersion relation for a warm relativistic electron beam propagating through a cold plasma is studied. The beam electrons have the same energy, but there is a spread in their directions of motion. Numerical solutions have been obtained for the fastest growth rate delta for wave vectors k at various angles to the direction of propagation of the beam. It is found that even for very strong beams ( alpha <sup>1/3</sup> gamma >>1; alpha =n<sub>b</sub>/n<sub>p</sub>) the hydrodynamic phase, when delta varies as alpha <sup>1/3</sup>, during which waves parallel to the beam axis grow in the same fashion as if the beam were cold, plays an important role. The kinetic phase ( delta varies as alpha ) occurs only after the angular spread reaches large values.
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