Collisional particle simulation of ion acoustic instability

Abstract

The nonlinear evolution of ion acoustic fluctuations in the presence of a uniform electron drift which exceeds the sound speed and electron-ion collisions is investigated using a collisional particle simulation model for parameters relevant to laser-heated plasmas. The results indicate that for the one-dimensional case, strong electron-ion collisionality can lead to a significantly higher saturation level of the fluctuations, which is comparable to the saturation level in the two-dimensional collisionless regime. This relatively high turbulence level can act to enhance heat flux inhibition and strongly influence the absorption and transport properties of laser-produced plasmas.