Ion-acoustic waves in a relativistic plasma for various particle velocity distributions

It is established that longitudinal ion-acoustic modes can exist only in the one-dimensional case in a relativistic plasma with an arbitrary particle velocity distribution. The spectrum of the given wave mode is calculated on the basis of Vlasov's kinetic theory for an arbitrary particle velocity distribution function. In particular, the dispersion and logarithmic decrement are found for power-law and Maxwell distribution functions.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 103–107, March, 1995.