Nonlinear Electron Oscillations in a Viscous and Resistive Plasma

New non-linear, spatially periodic, long wavelength electrostatic modes of an electron fluid oscillating against a motionless ion fluid (Langmuir waves) are given, with viscous and resistive effects included. The cold plasma approximation is adopted, which requires the wavelength to be sufficiently large. The pertinent requirement valid for large amplitude waves is determined. The general non-linear solution of the continuity and momentum transfer equations for the electron fluid along with Poisson's equation is obtained in simple parametric form. It is shown that in all typical hydrogen plasmas, the influence of plasma resistivity on the modes in question is negligible. Within the limitations of the solution found, the non-linear time evolution of any (periodic) initial electron number density profile n_e(x, t=0) can be determined (examples). For the modes in question, an idealized model of a strictly cold and collisionless plasma is shown to be applicable to any real plasma, provided that the wavelength lambda >> lambda_{min}(n_0,T_e), where n_0 = const and T_e are the equilibrium values of the electron number density and electron temperature. Within this idealized model, the minimum of the initial electron density n_e(x_{min}, t=0) must be larger than half its equilibrium value, n_0/2. Otherwise, the corresponding maximum n_e(x_{max},t=tau_p/2), obtained after half a period of the plasma oscillation blows up. Relaxation of this restriction on n_e(x, t=0) as one decreases lambda, due to the increase of the electron viscosity effects, is examined in detail. Strong plasma viscosity is shown to change considerably the density profile during the time evolution, e.g., by splitting the largest maximum in two.Comment: 16 one column pages, 11 figures, Abstract and Sec. I, extended, Sec. VIII modified, Phys. Rev. E in pres

Periodic solutions with nonconstant sign in Abel equations of the second kind

The study of periodic solutions with constant sign in the Abel equation of the second kind can be made through the equation of the first kind. This is because the situation is equivalent under the transformation $x\mapsto x^{-1}$, and there are many results available in the literature for the first kind equation. However, the equivalence breaks down when one seeks for solutions with nonconstant sign. This note is devoted to periodic solutions with nonconstant sign in Abel equations of the second kind. Specifically, we obtain sufficient conditions to ensure the existence of a periodic solution that shares the zeros of the leading coefficient of the Abel equation. Uniqueness and stability features of such solutions are also studied.Comment: 10 page

Non-trivial, non-negative periodic solutions of a system of singular-degenerate parabolic equations with nonlocal terms

We study the existence of non-trivial, non-negative periodic solutions for systems of singular-degenerate parabolic equations with nonlocal terms and satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions. The method employed in this paper is based on the Leray-Schauder topological degree theory. However, verifying the conditions under which such a theory applies is more involved due to the presence of the singularity. The system can be regarded as a possible model of the interactions of two biological species sharing the same isolated territory, and our results give conditions that ensure the coexistence of the two species.Comment: 39 page

Positive periodic solutions of singular systems

The existence and multiplicity of positive periodic solutions for second order non-autonomous singular dynamical systems are established with superlinearity or sublinearity assumptions at infinity for an appropriately chosen parameter. Our results provide a unified treatment for the problem and significantly improve several results in the literature. The proof of our results is based on the Krasnoselskii fixed point theorem in a cone.Comment: Journal of Differential Equations, 201

An analysis of the field theoretic approach to the quasi-continuum method

Using the orbital-free density functional theory as a model theory, we present an analysis of the field theoretic approach to quasi-continuum method. In particular, by perturbation method and multiple scale analysis, we provide a formal justification for the validity of the coarse-graining of various fields, which is central to the quasi-continuum reduction of field theories. Further, we derive the homogenized equations that govern the behavior of electronic fields in regions of smooth deformations. Using Fourier analysis, we determine the far-field solutions for these fields in the presence of local defects, and subsequently estimate cell-size effects in computed defect energies.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figur

Some Homogenization Results for Non-Coercive Hamilton-Jacobi Equations

Recently, C. Imbert & R. Monneau study the homogenization of coercive Hamilton-Jacobi Equations with a $u/e$-dependence : this unusual dependence leads to a non-standard cell problem and, in order to solve it, they introduce new ideas to obtain the estimates on the oscillations of the solutions. In this article, we use their ideas to provide new homogenization results for ``standard'' Hamilton-Jacobi Equations (i.e. without a $u/e$-dependence) but in the case of {\it non-coercive Hamiltonians}. As a by-product, we obtain a simpler and more natural proof of the results of C. Imbert & R. Monneau, but under slightly more restrictive assumptions on the Hamiltonians