title: Electron hole generation and propagation in an inhomogeneous collisionless plasma.
abstract: The generation of "trains" of electron holes in phase space due to an external electrostatic disturbance is investigated by using a Vlasov-Ampere code with open boundary conditions. Electron holes are produced mostly during the initial phase of the wave-plasma interaction, with a given drift velocity which is maintained until they exit the integration box, even in the presence of plasma inhomogeneities. They present macroscopic features, a dipolar electrostatic field and an electron density perturbation, which can be exploited for diagnostic purposes. Their equilibrium is intrinsically kinetic, in that they are accompanied by a stationary hole in the electron distribution function.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Califano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lontano