The nonlinear propagation of circularly polarized electromagnetic waves with relativistically strong amplitudes in an unmagnetized hot electron-positron plasma with a small fraction of ions is investigated. The possibility of finding localized solutions in such a plasma is explored. It is shown that these plasmas support the propagation of ‘‘heavy bullets of light’’: nondiffracting and nondispersive electromagnetic pulses with large density bunching.

• Received 2 March 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.52.1968