Electromagnetic emission from plasma with counter-streaming electron beams in the regime of oblique instability dominance

Abstract

The problem of electromagnetic emission generation in plasma with electron beams is relevant both for practical applications and for interpretation of radio emission processes in astrophysical systems. In this work, we consider the case of counter-propagating electron beams injection into plasma. Such systems may occur in cosmic plasma in the case of closely spaced particle acceleration regions, and they can also be implemented in laboratory facilities. Using particle-in-cell numerical simulations, we have shown that high beam-to-radiation conversion efficiency can be achieved in the case when beams excite small scale oblique plasma oscillations. In this case, the radiation is generated in the vicinity of the second harmonic of the plasma frequency. For such waves the surrounding plasma is transparent. It has been found that the efficiency and spectrum of the radiation are not dependent on the thickness of the beams. It has been also shown that parameters of the system necessary for efficient radiation generation by the discussed mechanism can be found using the exact linear theory of beam-plasma instability.