The longitudinal electric current in Maxwellian collisional plasma generated by a transverse electromagnetic wave

Abstract

Allowance for nonlinearity leads to the appearance of the longitudinal electric current directed along a wave vector. This longitudinal current is orthogonal to the known transverse classical current at linear analysis. The kinetic Vlasov equation for collisional Maxwellian plasma is used upon the determination of the longitudinal electric current. The Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook collision integral is applied. The electron distribution function is taken from the Vlasov equation in the approximation quadratic over an electromagnetic field. The formula for the calculation of the electric current is derived. When the collision frequency tends to zero, all results for collisional plasma transfer into a corresponding known formula for collisionless plasma. The case of small wave numbers is considered. The value of the longitudinal current when the collision frequency tends to zero also transfers into the known expression for the current in collisionless plasma. The dependence of the dimensionless current on the wave number, frequency of electromagnetic field oscillations, and the collision frequency of electrons with plasma particles is studied.