Propagation of nonlinear electrostatic drift solitary waves in a collisionless plasma consisting of two ion species

A modified two-dimensional Korteweg-de Vries equation for a collisionless plasma consisting of two distinct ionic species and isothermal electrons has been derived. The effect of concentration of light ions on the amplitude and the width of the drift solitary wave is examined for an argon plasma and a helium plasma with hydrogen ion impurities. Similarly the effect of concentration of negative ions on the amplitude of the drift solitary wave is examined and it is shown that when negative ions are present one gets the usual compressive drift solitary waves with positive amplitude as well as rarefactive drift solitary waves with negative amplitude depending on the negative ion concentration. (author)