Anomalous charge and energy transfer in a nonisothermal plasma and possibility of calculation of current density in hollow cathodes.

Abstract

Without imposing additional restrictions on the magnitude of induced scattering of waves by ions, the numerical solution of the nonlinear integral equation for the ion-acoustic waves distribution function over the angles of the wave vector is obtained. This solution complements the analytical and numerical solutions obtained earlier in the limits of weak [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 82, 1886 (1982); Sov. Phys.-Lebedev Inst. Rep. 10, 55 (1987)] and strong [Sov. J. Plasma Phys. 10, 17 (1984)] influence of induced scattering on the distribution of ion-acoustic waves. It is shown how, as the electric field strength or electron pressure gradient increases, the position of the maximum of the ion-acoustic wave distribution shifts away from the direction of the turbulence symmetry axis. The obtained solution allowed us to quantitatively describe the electron fluxes of charge and energy in a plasma with ion-acoustic turbulence in a wide range of electron drift velocities. The expression for the current density can be used to calculate the magnitude of the current in the plume of the hollow cathode.