Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Plasma Wave Mediated Attractive Potentials: A Prerequisite For Electron Compound Formation, R. A. Treumann, W. Baumjohann

Dartmouth Scholarship

Coagulation of electrons to form macro-electrons or compounds in high temperature plasma is not generally expected to occur. Here we investigate, based on earlier work, the possibility for such electron compound formation (non-quantum "pairing") mediated in the presence of various kinds of plasma waves via the generation of attractive electrostatic potentials, the necessary condition for coagulation. We confirm the possibility of production of attractive potential forces in ion- and electron-acoustic waves, pointing out the importance of the former and expected consequences. While electron-acoustic waves presumably do not play any role, ion-acoustic waves may potentially contribute to formation of heavy electron …