EVOLUTION OF OSCILLATIONS OF SEMICONFINED ELECTRON-PLASMA

The evolution of an arbitrary initial nonequilibrium distribution of e lectrons and electric fields is investigated in a structure consisting of semiconfined media, viz., plasma and insulator (vacuum). The compr ehensive spectrum of potential oscillations of electric fields is obta ined. It is shown that the set of frequency eigenvalues is determined by the properties of the electron distribution function in equilibrium and perturbed states. In a cold plasma, volume and surface oscillatio ns with the Langmuir frequency can propagate along with surface plasmo ns, while only a surface plasmon field exists in the insulator. In the presence of spatial dispersion, all types of volume and surface oscil lations emerging in the plasma are emitted to the insulator. In additi on to the field of intrinsic oscillations, an electric field of anomal ous penetration associated with the effects of ballistic transport of conduction electrons at low temperatures also exists in the plasma. Fo r a cold plasma, delay effects are taken into account, and the spatial and time distributions of the fields in the insulator are found. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.