Resistive filamentation of self-pinched electron beams

Abstract
A model for resistive filamentation of a self-pinched slab electron beam is presented. The lowest-order modes are found to consist of a body mode which leads to bunching of the beam, and a surface mode which leads to rigid rippling of the beam. The dispersion relations for these modes are compared to results from a linearized particle simulation code. The analytic model and simulation code are applied to the interpretation of a recent experiment in which filamentation was observed in a self-pinched annular electron beam propagating in low-pressure air.