Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas
We study the propagation of electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas, where the wave frequency ω_{0} is much larger than the plasma frequency ω_{P}. We show that in pair plasmas, nonlinear effects are weak for a_{0}≪ω_{0}/ω_{P}, where a_{0} is the wave strength parameter. In electron-proton plasmas,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Physical Society
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043213 |
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| author | Emanuele Sobacchi Masanori Iwamoto Lorenzo Sironi Tsvi Piran |
| author_facet | Emanuele Sobacchi Masanori Iwamoto Lorenzo Sironi Tsvi Piran |
| author_sort | Emanuele Sobacchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We study the propagation of electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas, where the wave frequency ω_{0} is much larger than the plasma frequency ω_{P}. We show that in pair plasmas, nonlinear effects are weak for a_{0}≪ω_{0}/ω_{P}, where a_{0} is the wave strength parameter. In electron-proton plasmas, a more restrictive condition must be satisfied, namely, either a_{0}≪1/ω_{P}τ_{0}, where τ_{0} is the duration of the radiation pulse, or a_{0}≪1. We derive the equations that govern the evolution of the pulse in the weakly nonlinear regime. Our results have important implications for the modeling of fast radio bursts. We argue that (i) millisecond duration bursts with a smooth profile must be produced in a proton-free environment, where nonlinear effects are weaker, and (ii) propagation through an electron-proton plasma near the source can imprint a submicrosecond variability on the burst profile. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-da3989f38fe74d3d944c7e97f280846d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-da3989f38fe74d3d944c7e97f280846d2025-08-20T01:52:37ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642024-11-016404321310.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043213Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmasEmanuele SobacchiMasanori IwamotoLorenzo SironiTsvi PiranWe study the propagation of electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas, where the wave frequency ω_{0} is much larger than the plasma frequency ω_{P}. We show that in pair plasmas, nonlinear effects are weak for a_{0}≪ω_{0}/ω_{P}, where a_{0} is the wave strength parameter. In electron-proton plasmas, a more restrictive condition must be satisfied, namely, either a_{0}≪1/ω_{P}τ_{0}, where τ_{0} is the duration of the radiation pulse, or a_{0}≪1. We derive the equations that govern the evolution of the pulse in the weakly nonlinear regime. Our results have important implications for the modeling of fast radio bursts. We argue that (i) millisecond duration bursts with a smooth profile must be produced in a proton-free environment, where nonlinear effects are weaker, and (ii) propagation through an electron-proton plasma near the source can imprint a submicrosecond variability on the burst profile.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043213 |
| spellingShingle | Emanuele Sobacchi Masanori Iwamoto Lorenzo Sironi Tsvi Piran Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas Physical Review Research |
| title | Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| title_full | Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| title_fullStr | Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| title_short | Propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| title_sort | propagation of strong electromagnetic waves in tenuous plasmas |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043213 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emanuelesobacchi propagationofstrongelectromagneticwavesintenuousplasmas AT masanoriiwamoto propagationofstrongelectromagneticwavesintenuousplasmas AT lorenzosironi propagationofstrongelectromagneticwavesintenuousplasmas AT tsvipiran propagationofstrongelectromagneticwavesintenuousplasmas |