Driven one-component plasmas

Abstract

A statistical theory is presented that allows the calculation of the stationary state achieved by a driven one-component plasma after a process of collisionless relaxation. The stationary Vlasov equation with appropriate boundary conditions is reduced to an ordinary differential equation, which is then solved numerically. The solution is then compared with the molecular-dynamics simulation. A perfect agreement is found between the theory and the simulations. The full current-voltage phase diagram is constructed.