Excitation of nonlinear electrostatic waves with phase velocity close to the ion-thermal speed

Recent hybrid Vlasov–Maxwell simulations predicted the presence of a significant level of electrostatic activity, consisting of ion-acoustic waves and of a new branch of waves (called ion-bulk (IBk) waves), at short spatial scalelengths in the tail of the solar-wind turbulent cascade along the direction of the ambient magnetic field. These waves, driven by particle trapping processes, have phase speed comparable to the ion-thermal speed and acoustic dispersion. In this paper, the hybrid Vlasov–Maxwell code redesigned in the electrostatic configuration is used to reproduce the excitation of the IBk waves. An external driver electric field is applied to the plasma ions in order to create a population of trapped particles. This inhibits Landau damping that would otherwise suppress these low phase speed oscillations. The aim of this work is to show that the IBk waves, like ordinary linear modes, can be excited by general type drivers (even of low amplitude) applied to the plasma. Finally, Vlasov–Poisson simulations, with kinetic ions and Boltzmann electrons, are used to point out the limitations of the quasi-neutrality assumption, on which the hybrid model is based.