Alternating Current Instability Produced by the Two-Stream Instability

Abstract

Theory and numerical experiments show that large amplitude plasma oscillations are unstable when the mobility of the ions is taken into account. This instability can lead to an anomalously rapid damping of the plasma oscillations. It is expected that large amplitude plasma oscillations produced by the electron two-stream instability would be subject to this instability and the associated damping. Numerical experiments have been performed which indicate that this is so and that there is good correspondence to theory.