Kinetics of the collisionless expansion of spherical nanoplasmas

The collisionless expansion of spherical plasmas composed of cold ions and hot electrons is analyzed using a novel kinetic model, with special emphasis on the influence of the electron dynamics. Simple, general laws are found, relating the relevant expansion features to the initial conditions of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review letters Vol. 96; no. 17; p. 175002
Main Authors Peano, F, Peinetti, F, Mulas, R, Coppa, G, Silva, L O
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 05.05.2006
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Summary:The collisionless expansion of spherical plasmas composed of cold ions and hot electrons is analyzed using a novel kinetic model, with special emphasis on the influence of the electron dynamics. Simple, general laws are found, relating the relevant expansion features to the initial conditions of the plasma, determined from a single dimensionless parameter. A transition is identified in the behavior of the ion energy spectrum, which is monotonic only for high electron temperatures, otherwise exhibiting a local peak far from the cutoff energy.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.96.175002