Large quasineutral electron velocity oscillations in radial expansion of an ionizing plasma

• Radial expansion of an ionizing gas or plasma cylinder into vacuum is investigated. An exact model for the evolution of the density and velocity fields of the electrons, ions, and neutrals, including the effect of photo and electron-impact ionization on the flow characteristics is developed and solutions obtained. A quasineutral nonlinear electrostatic mode involving rapid oscillations in the electron velocity but not in the density can occur in the expanding plasma. The mode turns out to be almost unaffected by weak ionization.

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