Direct observation of mass-dependent collisionless energy transfer via Landau and transit-time damping

Abstract

Landau damping and transit-time damping are known resonant wave-particle interactions in which energy is transferred from the wave to ions or electrons in the plasma. The authors study collisionless energy transfer in a plasma of deuterium and carbon atoms, observing that more energy is transferred to the heavier carbon ions, suggestive of a mass-dependence in the process.