Ion distribution function and momentum transfer in the presence of an electrostatic pump wave in a magnetized plasma

The time evolution of the ion distribution function (IDF) when an electrostatic pumpwave is applied, with a frequency in the range of the low-order ion cyclotronharmonics, is investigated by numerically integrating the Vlasov-Poisson system ofequations. The case of the wave propagation perpendicular to the external magneticfield is considered. Previous extended analysis [1,2], with a reduced ion mass, haveshown the appearance of a regular periodic structure of the IDF, in the velocity planenormal to the magnetic field, which seems to be caused by the periodic"accumulation" of detrapped ions, leaving the trapping region.In this paper, the numerical analysis is extended to the case of ions with their actualmass, and the resulting moments of the IDF are computed and discussed.