Dynamics of nonlinearly coupled magnetic-field-aligned electromagnetic electron-cyclotron waves near the zero-group-dispersion point in magnetized plasmas
- Institut fuer Theoretische Physik IV and Centre for Plasma Science and Astrophysics, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Astronomie, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)
The nonlinear coupling between two magnetic-field-aligned electromagnetic electron-cyclotron (EMEC) waves in plasmas is considered. Evaluating the ponderomotive coupling between the EMEC waves and quasistationary plasma density perturbations, a pair of coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations (CNLSEs) is obtained. The CNLSEs are then used to investigate the occurrence of modulational instability in magnetized plasmas. Waves in the vicinity of the zero-group-dispersion point are considered, so that the group dispersion terms may either bear the same or different signs. It is found that a stable EMEC wave can be destabilized due to its nonlinear interactions with an unstable one, while a pair of unstable EMEC waves yields an increased instability growth rate. Individually stable waves remain stable while interacting with one another. Stationary nonlinear solutions of the coupled equations are presented. The relevance of our investigation to nonlinear phenomena in space plasmas is discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 20764455
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 12, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1994747; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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