NONLINEAR SPACE-CHARGE WAVES IN A RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON-BEAM DRIFTINGALONG A KERR-LIKE MEDIUM

We investigate the nonlinear characteristics of space-charge waves, wh ich propagate along a relativistic electron beam drifting near the sur face of a semi-infinite Kerr-like medium, under the condition that the drift velocity of the electron beam does not exceed the Cherenkov thr eshold. On the basis of the linear fluid model for the electron beam a nd the stationary wave analysis, we obtain some interesting features f or the nonlinear space-charge waves such as power dependence of wavenu mbers and hysteresis characteristics. (C) 1996 American Institute of P hysics.