Computer Simulation of the Formation of Langmuir Solitons and Holes in a Cylindrical Magnetized Plasma Column

Nonlinear plasma ocsillations in a cylindrical plasma resulting from a short localized external excitation are examined by means of a particle-in-cell simulation scheme. Computer calculations are performed for describing the experimental results obtained in a single-ended Q-machine plasma in a cylindrical waveguide. We assume that there is a strong magnetic field in the direction of the column axis. When the amplitude of the excitation potential is close to the kinetic energy of electrons having a phase velocity of the electron plasma wave, the formation is observed of solitons and holes in phase space. After formation, the solitons and holes move with constant velocities. The velocities of solitons are close to the wavs-phase velocity, while holes move with smaller velocities. When the external potential amplitude is increased, there is a tendency that the number of holes grows. The potential amplitude of the self-consistent field in the soliton region damps in time with increasing soliton width. The potential profile of the hole does not change after its formation.