Electromagnetic plasma wave modes propagating along light-cone coordinates

TL;DR

This paper introduces new electromagnetic plasma wavepacket solutions propagating along light-cone coordinates, revealing unique properties such as defined wavefronts and superluminal velocities, constructed using special functions like Airy and Bessel functions.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel class of electromagnetic plasma wave solutions along light-cone coordinates, expanding the types of wavepackets beyond traditional plane waves with new functional properties.

Findings

Double Airy solutions exhibit a defined wavefront.

Wavefront velocities can exceed those of standard plane waves.

Structured wavepackets can be built from these solutions.

Abstract

We present new electromagnetic plasma wavepacket solutions that propagates in one time and one space coordinates. Differently to the usual plane wave solution, which is written in terms of separation of variables, all our solutions are along the light-cone coordinates. This allow us to find several new solutions whose functionality properties rely on the conditions imposed on the choice for their light-cone coordinates dependence. The presented wavepacket solutions are constructed in terms of multiplications of Airy functions, Parabolic cylinder functions, Mathieu functions, or Bessel functions. We thoroughly analyze the case of a double Airy solution, which have new electromagnetic properties, as a defined wavefront, and velocity faster than the electromagnetic plane wave counterpart solution. It is also mentioned how more general structured wavepackets can be constructed from these new solutions.