Numerical study of self-interaction of Bernstein waves by nonlinear Landau damping

When Bernstein waves (B waves) are excited in a magnetized plasma, their self-interaction by nonlinear Landau damping (NLD) becomes the dominant mechanism for the electron heating of the bulk plasma. We examine this behaviour numerically. This occurs only for B waves with relatively small k∥ because the damping of the B waves becomes very small. This occurs in the relatively broad B-wave frequency range betweenω/ωc = 1.45 and 1.78. For B waves with large k∥ (k∥R > 0.15), virtual waves are not generated via self-interaction due to NLD because the quasi-linear cyclotron damping of the B waves becomes the dominant mechanism. The numerical results agree well with experimental ones.