PPPL-4856
On Variational Methods in the Physics of Plasma Waves
Authors: I.Y. Dodin
Abstract:
A first-principle variational approach to adiabatic collisionless plasma waves is described. The
focus is made on one-dimensional electrostatic oscillations, including phase-mixed electron plasma
waves (EPW) with trapped particles, such as Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal modes. The well known
Whitham's theory is extended by an explicit calculation of the EPW Lagrangian, which is related
to the oscillation-center energies of individual particles in a periodic field, and those are found by a
quadrature. Some paradigmatic physics of EPW is discussed for illustration purposes.
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Submitted to: Fusion of Science and Technology (March 2013)
Presented at: 6th ITER International School (Ahmedabad, India, 2012)
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