Slowing Down of a Fast Test Particle in a Plasma

Abstract

The elastic scattering of fast charged particles in a background plasma is considered. Investigation is limited to scattering by Maxwellian particles whose most probable speed is much less than the velocity of the fast test particle. A shielded-potential elastic-scattering cross section is used to formulate the scattering kernel. By taking the moments of the kernel, it is possible to obtain expressions for the rate of energy transfer, the slowing-down time, the rate of the mean-square energy transfer, and the dispersion of the initial energy distribution of the fast particles released to the background.