Original scientific paper
Modulation instability of high-frequency surface waves at a plasma-vacuum interface
Basudev Ghosh
; Department of Physics, R. K. Mission Vidyamandir, Belur Math, Howrah, Pin - 711202, India
Shyamal R. Majumdar
; Department of Physics, B. N. Mahavidyalaya, P. O. Itachuna, Dist. Hooghly, West Bengal, India
Sujay K. Bhattacharya
; Department of Physics, M. N. Saha Institute of Technology Near NRI Complex, Kolkata - 700039, India
Sailendra N. Paul
; Centre for Science Education and Research B/4, Shyamali Housing Estate, Salt Lake City, Calcutta - 700064, India
Abstract
Nonlinear propagation of surface waves in a cold electron-plasma half-space is theoretically investigated by using the method of multiple scale. It is shown that high-frequency surface waves are modulationally unstable at a plasma - vacuum interface. The growth of the modulational instability of the surface waves is discussed. It is also shown that the electric field associated with a finite amplitude surface wave can take the form of an envelope soliton which propagates along the plasma - vacuum interface with a velocity independent of the soliton height.
Keywords
cold electron plasma; plasma - vacuum interface; surface waves; nonlinear propagation; modulational instability
Hrčak ID:
301641
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2003.
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