Electromagnetic plasma wave modes propagating along light-cone coordinates

Abstract

We present new electromagnetic plasma wavepacket solutions that propagates in one time and one space coordinates. Differently to the usual plane wave solution, which is written in terms of separation of variables, all our solutions are along the light-cone coordinates. This allow us to find several new solutions whose functionality properties rely on the conditions imposed on the choice for their light-cone coordinates dependence. The presented wavepacket solutions are constructed in terms of multiplications of Airy functions, Parabolic cylinder functions, Mathieu functions, or Bessel functions. We thoroughly analyze the case of a double Airy solution, which have new electromagnetic properties, as a defined wavefront, and velocity faster than the electromagnetic plane wave counterpart solution. It is also mentioned how more general structured wavepackets can be constructed from these new solutions.