language: en

Refraction and Reflection of Ion Acoustic Solitons by Space Charge Sheath

K. L. Cartwright and C. K. Birdsall
Electronics Research Laboratory University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720-1774

[Acknowledgments: This research is supported by ONR grant number N00014-90-J-1198 and ONR-AASERT 23057.]

Abstract Experiments have shown[1],[2] that ion acoustic solitons tunnel through the space charge sheath in front of a grid without time delay. They are absorbed resonantly when the spatial width of the wave is close to the characteristic gradient scale length of the sheath. The reflection and transmission coefficients found in these experiments have compared well with theory in the long wavelength limit[3]. However, to achieve this comparison, two parameters were added that were not in the original theory. These parameters allow for the absorption of wave energy by the space charge sheath. The goal of our numerical simulations, designed to reproduce the experimental results, is to uncover the mechanism of this energy loss and large speed of propagation through the sheath.

1 Photo Ionization-Steady State