Vlasov-Poisson Simulations of Strong Wave-Plasma Interaction in Conditions of Relevance for Radio Frequency Plasma Heating

The nonlinear aspects of the interaction between externally applied electrostatic oscillations and a one-dimensional electron-ion plasma is investigated by numerically integrating the Vlasov-Poisson system of equations. The forcing field is in the form of a broad symmetric $k$ spectrum which simulates that used in low-frequency wave-heating experiments in tokamak plasmas. It is shown that, for realistic values of the plasma and field parameters, numerous nonlinear effects accompany the wave-plasma interaction, as, for example, the formation of density cavities by the action of ponderomotive forces, the acceleration of charged particles, and the nonlinear plasma heating.