Collisionless damping of electron waves in non-Maxwellian plasma

Abstract

In this paper we have criticized the so-called Landau damping theory. We have analyzed solutions of the standard dispersion equations for longitudinal (electric) and transversal (electromagnetic and electron) waves in half-infinite slab of the uniform collisionless plasmas with non-Maxwellian and Maxwellian-like electron energy distribution functions. One considered the most typical cases of both the delta-function type distribution function (the plasma stream with monochromatic electrons) and distribution functions, different from Maxwellian ones as with a surplus as well as with a shortage in the Maxwellian distribution function tail. It is shown that there are present for the considered cases both collisionless damping and also non-damping electron waves even in the case of non-Maxwellian distribution function.