Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
A new approach to the theoretical study of turbulent behaviour of a collisionless plasma is developed. This approach is based upon the concept or probability maximization originally applied to collisional gases by Boltzmann. The probability-maximization theory deals with stochastic processes in a steady turbulent plasma by solving for the most-probable distribution. Our theory as applied to counter-streaming electron beams can quantitatively predict beam retardation, i.e. a decrease in the mean velocity of electrons injected from the system boundary. This is also in agreement with the results of a one-dimensional numerical experiment performed for such a beam-plasma system.