Abstract
In this article the concept of the beat wave accelerator is studied with emphasis put on the plasma physics. An important effect is the relativistic nature of the electrons oscillating in the electric field of the beat wave. Various instabilities are presented which could limit the overall efficiency of the accelerating process, these include the modulational instabilities of Langmuir waves due to both relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities. In the latter the ions become important for the saturation of the Langmuir wave.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Aug 1990 |
Keywords
- physics
- plasma waves
- plasma instability
- beat wave accelerator