A Fourier-Space Description of Oscillations in an Inhomogeneous Plasma. Part 1. Continuous Fourier Transformation

Z. SEDLÁČEK, Paul Stuart Cally

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Oscillations in inhomogeneous cold plasmas or inhomogeneous magnetofluids are interpreted in terms of the dynamics of their spectra in wavenumber space. By Fourier transforming the basic integro-differential equation of the problem, a generalized wave equation in wavenumber space is derived, thus converting the oscillation and phase-mixing processes in the original x space into processes of dispersive propagation and scattering of the spectrum in wavenumber space. The Barston singular continuum eigenmodes correspond to stationary scattering states of a monochromatic wave in wavenumber space, whereas the damping phenomena in x space correspond to transient ‘ leaking ’ phenomena accompanying scattering and dispersive propagation of a wave packet in wavenumber space.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)245-264
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Plasma Physics
Volume52
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 1994

Cite this