One-dimensional electromagnetic solitons in a hot electron-positron plasma

The set of relativistic hydrodynamic equations for a two-species plasma is derived with the aim to investigate the interaction between arbitrary ampli tude electromagnetic (EM) fields and hot plasmas. The equations are then sp ecialized in order to study the existence of solitonlike EM distributions i n a one-dimensional electron-positron plasma. It is found that: (i) a nonze ro temperature makes possible the existence of nondrifting soliton-like sol utions, otherwise impossible in a strictly cold plasma; (ii) in an ultrarel ativistic plasma, extremely large concentrations of EM energy densities can be achieved; (iii) correspondingly, the temperature profile of the backgro und plasma develops strong nonuniformities. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.