The plasma capacitor problem

Abstract

The problem of the penetration of a longitudinal electric field into a bounded plasma layer is considered. The method of solution is based on the representation of the disturbance in the plasma layer as that generated by an appropriate charge source in the complementary regions into which, for the purpose of the representation, the plasma is conceived to extend. The problem is solved for each of the three boundary conditions in common use: these are the specular refiexion, the absorption and the diffuse scattering boundary conditions.