Asymmetry-Driven Structure Formation in Pair Plasmas

TL;DR

This paper explores how temperature asymmetry in pair plasmas causes unique nonlinear effects that lead to stable localized electromagnetic structures, differing from traditional mass or density-driven mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel nonlinear focusing-defocusing mechanism driven by temperature asymmetry, enabling stable localized wave structures in pair plasmas.

Findings

Temperature asymmetry induces a new type of nonlinearity.

Stable localized wave structures can form in 1-3 dimensions.

Flat-top shaped structures are possible under certain conditions.

Abstract

The nonlinear propagation of electromagnetic waves in pair plasmas, in which the electrostatic potential plays a very important but subdominant role of a "binding glue" is investigated. Several mechanisms for structure formation are investigated, in particular, the "asymmetry" in the initial temperatures of the constituent species. It is shown that the temperature asymmetry leads to a (localizing) nonlinearity that is new and qualitatively different from the ones originating in ambient mass or density difference. The temperature asymmetry driven focusing-defocusing nonlinearity supports stable localized wave structures in 1-3 dimensions, which, for certain parameters, may have flat-top shapes.