Nonlinear behavior of electron acoustic waves in an un-magnetized plasma

The nonlinear electron acoustic wave, which is found in the earth's magnetosphere by satellite observations, is studied analytically by Lagrangian fluid description. The basic linear mode is observed in a two temperature electron species plasma where ions form stationary charge neutral background. We have obtained nonlinear description of this mode, which depends on both time and space. A possible solution shows a soliton like structure, which is localized in space, and the amplitude increases with time in the absence of dispersion. Small dispersive correction, however, shows spread of the solution in space. This method can be generalized to study the nonlinear behavior of a general class of multispecies plasma. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3644498]