Nonlinear equation for Farley–Buneman waves in multispecies plasma

Abstract

The nonlinear equation describing the Farley–Buneman (FB) waves in multispecies collisional plasmas is derived by employing the multiple-scale reduction analysis. It is shown that the presence of several ion species with different collisionalities and different ion masses removes the degeneracy of the nonlinear equation and generates the nonlinear terms resulting in wave steepening and wave breaking. This effect may be responsible for formation of one-dimensional coherent FB waves of a finite amplitude.