Exploring Born-Infeld electrodynamics using plasmas

Abstract

The behaviour of large amplitude electrostatic waves in cold plasma is investigated in the context of Born-Infeld electrodynamics. The equations of motion for the plasma are established using an unconstrained action principle. The maximum amplitude and frequency of a large amplitude electrostatic wave are determined, and a lower bound on the wavelength is established. The maximum electric field is found to be the same as that on a point electron at rest.