Anomalous Heating of Plasma Electrons Driven by a Large Transverse Field at ∼ωpe

Abstract

Numerical experiments on a plasma driven by a large‐amplitude transverse field oscillating at nearly twice the electron plasma frequency are presented. The large wave drives the electrostatic plasma waves unstable. When these unstable waves grow to large amplitude, they efficiently transfer energy to the plasma particles. A simple theory to explain the results is presented.