Work

Observation of soliton excitation by a charged obstruction in a flowing plasma

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Excitation of precursor solitons in a flowing plasma is reported. Theoretical studies have suggested that when a charged object moves through a plasma at a speed higher than a threshold, it triggers the periodic formation of ion acoustic solitons. These solitons emerge ahead of the object and propagate faster than the object, thereby giving early warning of the object's approach. In experiments reported here, an E × B flow is created in a plasma that passes over an object to which a surface charge is applied with a square wave voltage pulse. We observe the periodic excitation of precursor solitons that propagate in the upstream direction of the flow. Detection of these solitons in space may enable the tracking of small-scale space debris in the Earth's ionosphere and lower magnetosphere.

Source: Physics of Plasmas

DOI: 10.1063/5.0275271