COMPARISON OF ZAKHAROV SIMULATION AND OPEN BOUNDARY VLASOV SIMULATIONOF STRONG LANGMUIR TURBULENCE

Both Zakharov equations and Vlasov equations are solved numerically to study the strong Langmuir turbulence developed in a plasma driven by an external pump field oscillating at the plasma frequency. A steady s tate turbulence in Vlasov simulations is reached by using open boundar y conditions under which hot particles generated by strong caviton fie lds are replaced by initial cold Maxwellian particles when they cross the boundaries of simulation domain. A similar steady turbulent state in Zakharov simulations is easily achieved by implementing a phenomeno logical damping model and using periodic boundary conditions. Simulati on results of these two different models are compared and investigated . (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.