The Square Root Approximation to the Dispersion Relation of the Axially-symmetric Electron Wave on a Cylindrical Plasma

Abstract

Abstract This paper suggests the use of a simple square root approximation to the dispersion relation of axially-symmetric electron surface waves on cylindrical plasmas. The point is not merely to substitute the exact expression for the dispersion relation which involves a number of Bessel functions with a more tractable analytical approximant, but to cast the dispersion relation in a form useful in the comparison with other waves, such as water surface gravity waves and the associated tide-rip effect. The square root form of the dispersion relation is also of help in the analysis of surfactron plasmas, as it directly predicts a linear roll-off of electron density in the discharge.