Two-Dimensional Stability of Langmuir Solitons

Abstract

We report on the stability of plane Langmuir solitons to perturbations in the transverse direction and of cylindrically symmetric solitons to azimuthal perturbations. Two-dimensional numerical solutions of the basic equations, including the effect of finite ion inertia, show that both cases are unstable and that the collapse of annular solitons in the azimuthal direction is faster than their radial collapse.