Radiation reaction induced non-monotonic features in runaway electron distributions

• Runaway electrons, which are generated in a plasma where the induced electric field exceeds acertain critical value, can reach very high energies in the MeV range. For such energetic electrons,radiative losses will contribute significantly to the momentum space dynamics. Under certainconditions, due to radiative momentum losses, a non-monotonic feature – a “bump” – can formin the runaway electron tail, creating a potential for bump-on-tail-type instabilities to arise. Herewe study the conditions for the existence of the bump. We derive an analytical threshold conditionfor bump appearance and give an approximate expression for the minimum energy at which thebump can appear. Numerical calculations are performed to support the analytical derivations.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Fusion, plasma och rymdfysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics (hsv//eng)

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