Vlasov simulation of Langmuir wave packets

Abstract. Amplitude modulation and packet formation of Langmuir waves are commonly observed during a nonlinear interaction between electron beams and plasmas. In this paper, we briefly review the history of Langmuir wave packets as developed by recent spacecraft observations and computer simulations. New one-dimensional electrostatic Vlasov simulations are performed to study their formation processes. It is found that the formation of Langmuir wave packets involves both an incoherent turbulent process and a coherent nonlinear trapping process. Existence of cold ions does not affect nonlinear processes of the weak-electron-beam instability in which the ion distribution is hardly modified by the excited Langmuir wave packets.