Solitons and Double Layers in Plasma

By: Maninder Kaur

Solitons: An Introduction
In mathematics and physics, a soliton is a self-reinforcing solitary wave (a wave
packet or pulse) that maintains its shape while it travels at constant speed.

Solitons are caused by a cancellation of nonlinear and dispersive effects in the
medium.

Solitons arise as the solutions of a widespread class of weakly nonlinear
dispersive partial differential equations describing physical systems.


* Note: The term "dispersive effects" refers to a property of certain systems where the
speed of the waves vary according to frequency.
History
The soliton phenomenon was first described
by John Scott Russell (18081882) who
observed a solitary wave in the Union Canal in
Scotland.

He reproduced the phenomenon in a wave
tank and named it the "Wave of Translation".
Definition
A single, consensus definition of a soliton is difficult to find. Drazin & Johnson
(1989, p. 15) ascribe three properties to solitons:






They are of permanent form;

They are localized within a region;

They can interact with other solitons, and emerge from the collision unchanged,
except for a phase shift.

Explanation
Dispersion and non-linearity can interact to produce permanent and
localized wave forms.






Consider a pulse of light traveling in glass. This pulse can be thought of as
consisting of light of several different frequencies.

Since glass shows dispersion, these different frequencies will travel at different
speeds and the shape of the pulse will therefore change over time.
BenjaminBonaMahony equation
Applications
Solitons in biology[edit]
Solitons may occur in proteins and DNA. Solitons are related to the low-
frequency collective motion in proteins and DNA. A recently developed model
in neuroscience proposes that signals are conducted within neurons in the
form of solitons.

Solitons in magnets
In magnets, there also exist different types of solitons and other nonlinear
waves. These magnetic solitons are an exact solution of classical nonlinear
differential equations magnetic equations.

Double Layers : An Introduction
A double layer is a structure in a plasma and consists of two parallel layers with
opposite electrical charge.

The sheets of charge cause a strong electric field and a correspondingly sharp
change involtage (electrical potential) across the double layer.

Ions and electrons which enter the double layer are accelerated, decelerated, or
reflected by the electric field.

In general, double layers (which may be curved rather than flat) separate regions
of plasma with quite different characteristics.

Double layers are found in a wide variety of plasmas, from discharge tubes to
space plasmas to the Birkeland currents supplying the Earth's aurora, and are
especially common in current-carrying plasmas
A Practical Example
Saturnian aurora whose reddish colour
is characteristic of ionized
hydrogen plasma.

Powered by the
Saturnian equivalent of (filamentary)
Birkeland currents, streams of charged
particles from he interplanetary
medium interact with the planet's
magnetic field and funnel down to the
poles.


Double layers are associated with
(filamentary) currents and their electric
fields accelerate ions and electrons.
Double layer classification

Double layers may be classified in the following ways:

Weak and Strong double layers.

The strength of a double layer is expressed as the ratio of the potential drop in comparison with the
plasmas equivalent thermal energy, or in comparison with the rest mass energy of the electrons.

A double layer is said to be strong if the potential drop across the layer is greater than the equivalent
thermal energy of the plasmas components

Relativistic or nonrelativistic double layers.

Current carrying and current-free double layers
Weak and Strong double layers
For strong double layers there are four different components to the plasma:

The electrons entering at the low potential side of the double layer which are
accelerated;

The ions entering at the high potential side of the double layer which are accelerated;

The electrons entering at the high potential side of the double layer which are
decelerated and successively reflected.

The ions which enter the double layer at the low potential side of the double layer
which are decelerated and reflected.
In the case of a weak double layer, the electrons and ions entering from the wrong
side are decelerated by the electric field, however most will not be reflected, as the
potential drop is not strong enough.

Hall Effect Thruster
The electric fields utilised in plasma thrusters (in particular the Helicon
Double Layer Thruster) may be in the form of double layers
Double Layer Formation
There are two different kinds of double layers, which are formed differently:

1. Current carrying double layers

2. Current-free double layers



Doubler layer formation. Hotter
electrons moving into a cooler
plasma region (Diagram 1, top)
cause a charge imbalance, resulting
in a double layer that is able to
accelerate electrons across it
(Diagram 2, bottom)
Double Layer Formation Summary

Features and characteristics of double
layers

Thickness:
Particle acceleration
Particle populations
Particle flux
Energy supply
Stability
Magnetised plasmas: Double layers can both form in normal and
magnetized plasmas.
Cellular nature:
Energy transfer
Oblique double layer
Simulation: Double layers may be modelled using kinetic computer
models like particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In some cases it is reasonable
to treat the plasma as essentially one- or two-dimensional to reduce the
computational cost of a simulation.

Double Layer characteristics
Double layer characteristics
showing the potential (), electric
field (E) and space charge
distribution () across the layer
References
Wikipedia
Book1
Book2