Investigation of the relativistic beam propagation in the magnetospheric plasma environment.

Abstract:

Advancements in accelerator technology have recently made it possible for a spaceraft to carry aboard a compact linear accelerator capable of producing electron beams of relativistic energies.
Relativistic electron beams are generally more stable than nonrelativistic ones and can thus propagate for long distances. This makes them ideal for active space experiments. We present a study of the propagation and stability of a relativistic electron beam in a magnetospheric environment. We solve the envelope equations to determine the evolution of the beam radius and its dependence on the ambient plasma parameters. Particle-in-cell simulations are used to form a more detailed picture of the beam stability and propagation, and to verify the envelope solutions.