Electromagnetic instability and stopping power of plasma for relativistic electron beams

Abstract

The stopping power of a plasma for a relativistic electron beam (REB) is derived by taking a Weibel-type electromagnetic instability into account in a collisionless plasma. A quasi-linear theory is developed to derive the stopping power of the plasma due to the electromagnetic instability. The wave–particle interaction by use of the renormalization theory leads to a saturation level of instability. Thus the purely growing electromagnetic instability, including the effect of the beam temperature, decides an effective stopping length of the REB in the plasma.