Nonlinear Oscillations of a Semiconductor Plasma with a Nonrelativistic Electron Beam

Nonlinear oscillations of a semiconductor plasma with a low-density electron beam in the absence of an external magnetic field are studied in the hydrodynamic approximation. The beam is assumed to be nonrelativistic and monoenergetic. Cases are studied in which the Langmuir frequency of the electron oscillations in a semiconductor is much higher or much lower than the electron momentum relaxation rate. The self-similar solution obtained for the first case describes the damping of the nonlinear oscillations of the wave potential. Numerical analysis of the second case shows that the electric field distribution in the beam may correspond to that in a shock wave.