Ion-Acoustic Waves · Sound in a Plasma
unseel.com · heavy ions · Boltzmann electrons · c_s = √(k_B T_e/m_i)
Phase speed — km/s
T_e / T_i
phase
Heavy ions (inertia)
Hot electrons (the spring)
Ambipolar E-field
Landau damping (T_e≈T_i)
Unseel.com · Ion-Acoustic Waves: Sound in a Plasma Where Electrons Set the Spring