Head-on collision of ion-acoustic solitary waves in a collisionless plasma

Abstract

The head-on collision of ion-acoustic solitary waves in a collisionless plasma with cold ions and Boltzmann electrons is studied. It is shown that solitary waves of sufficiently large amplitudes do not retain their identity after a collision. Their amplitudes decrease and their forms change. Dependences of amplitudes of the potential and densities of ions and electrons after a head-on collision of identical solitary waves on their initial amplitude are presented.