Nonlinear evolution of electromagnetic ion beam instabilities

Abstract

A comparative study of the ion/ion right-hand resonant instability and the ion/ion nonresonant instability is carried out to investigate and contrast their properties. Linear analysis demonstrates that the nonresonant instability becomes resonant if the density of the ion beam is sufficiently high. Hybrid simulations show that both the resonant and nonresonant instabilities result in the formation of nonlinear pulses, called pulsations, but with distinct features. For example, the pulsations generated by the resonant instability have a positive correlation with the ion density, while those generated by the nonresonant instability are likely to have a relatively weak negative correlation. The waves generated by the nonresonant instability are subject to a parametric decay instability and tend to form a state of condensate where the turbulence becomes nearly monochromatic.