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Nonlinear evolution of whistler wave modulational instability

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871451· OSTI ID:165479
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Association EURATOM - Riso National Laboratory, Optics and Fluid Dynamics Department, Riso, P.O. Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark)
The nonlinear evolution of the modulational instability of whistler waves coupled to fast magnetosonic waves (FMS) and to slow magnetosonic waves (SMS) is investigated. Results from direct numerical solutions in two spatial dimensions agree with simplified results from a set of ordinary differential equations obtained from a Hamiltonian formulation of the governing equations. The long-time evolution of the modulational instability for the FMS-coupling shows a quasi-recurrent behavior with a slow spreading of the energy to higher and higher mode numbers. For the SMS-coupling, no recurrent behavior is found and the energy is gradually leaking to higher mode numbers while the spatial evolution of the modulation tends to develop small scale ``spikes.`` {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.
OSTI ID:
165479
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 2; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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