Acoustic-like modes in a two-ion quasi-neutral plasma: linear and nonlinear analysis

Abstract

A theoretical analysis of acoustic-like modes in a plasma consisting of two kinds of ions with different temperatures has been performed using fluid equations. The electrons are assumed to form a dynamic neutralizing background, and their perturbation has been neglected – which is permissible for k2λ2De ≫ 1. The analysis shows that an acoustic-like mode appears to propagate as a normal mode when the hotter ion concentration is very large compared with that of the colder ions.