Generation of a longitudinal current upon interaction of a transverse electromagnetic wave with degenerate plasma

Abstract

We consider degenerate plasma that is located in the field of a transverse electromagnetic wave. An electric current generated in the plasma by the electromagnetic field is sought. During classical description of the interaction of the electromagnetic wave with the plasma, the Vlasov kinetic equation is used, while, in quantum description, the quantum kinetic equation with the Wigner integral is applied. A nonlinear analysis has shown that that the electric current in the plasma has two nonzero components. One component of the electric current is directed along the vector potential of the electromagnetic field. The other nonzero component of the current is directed along the wave vector. In the present work, we analyze this component of the electric current. The case of collisionless plasma is examined.