Ion-Acoustic Instabilities in a Multi-Ion Plasma

Abstract

We have, in this paper, studied the stability of the ion-acoustic wave in a plasma composed of hydrogen, positively and negatively charged oxygen ions, and electrons, which approximates very well the plasma environment around a comet. Modelling each cometary component ( H + , O + , and O − ) by a ring distribution, we find that ion-acoustic waves can be generated at frequencies comparable to the hydrogen ion plasma frequency. The dispersion relation has been solved both analytically and numerically. We find that the ratio of the ring speed ( u ⊥ s ) to the thermal spread ( v ts ) modifies the dispersion characteristics of the ion-acoustic wave. The contrasting behaviour of the phase velocity of the ion-acoustic wave in the presence of O − ions for u ⊥ s > v ts (and vice versa) can be used to detect the presence of negatively charged oxygen ions and also their thermalization.