Comparison of electrostatic wave energy levels in models of electron beam-plasma interactions

Summary form only given, as follows. A dimensionless stability model that tracks the growth and predation of various wave populations is compared with one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The stability model uses rate equations to evaluate the coupling of longitudinal waves created by beam-plasma instabilities in order to estimate beam propagation distances. These wave energies and beam propagation distance estimates are compared with bounded one-dimensional PIC simulations. The onset and saturation of the beam-plasma instabilities are evaluated in the simulations. The simulations enable the stability model to be benchmarked and to explore the temporal evolution of background plasma energy distribution, a capability not presently included in the stability model. The scaleable, dimensionless stability model can be used in laboratory and astrophysical parameter regimes while numerical constraints limit the parameter regimes treatable in the PIC simulations.