On the existence of ion-acoustic double layers in negative-ion plasmas

Abstract

It is well known that ion-acoustic double layers occur in plasmas containing two-temperature electron species and positive ions. In a recent study Verheest suggested that such structures can occur when there is only one electron species but both negative and positive ion species. There a stationary modified Korteweg de Vries equation was derived to support his deduction. This prediction, however, contradicts our own arbitrary-amplitude studies, which also cover the Verheest parameter regime. Here we resolve the discrepancy by examining both approaches in the pseudo-potential formulation in more relevant detail. The implications of this study extend beyond the realm of the present subject.