Dynamics of non-monotonic double layers in plasma

The theoretical and numerical investigation of the dynamical processes of non-monotonic double layers(NDL's) with potential depression(or hump) at the low(or high) potential side are presented. In order to obtain the NDL acceleration and growth rate from a momentum balance equation, a phase space hole concept in the negative effective mass term is used. In order to compare with the theory of the NDL dynamics and simulations, the evolution of NDL's in a one-dimensional Vlasov plasma with injection of current-carrying plasma from both ends is investigated by one-dimensional bounded particle-in-cell code XPDP1, which is the workstation version of the one-dimensional electrostatic bounded-plasma code PDW1[J.Comput. Phys. 80(1989)253]. The theoretical acceleration and growth rate are in good agreement with the results of simulations. (author) 54 refs