Ion-acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized plasma with arbitrary electron equation of state

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.864400· OSTI ID:5906422

Witt, E; Lotko, W

The oblique propagation of fully nonlinear, slow ion-acoustic solitary waves in a collisionless, low-beta, magnetized plasma is examined. The analysis includes the effects of a finite ion pressure, electron trapping, and multicomponent particle populations. The existence of both compressive and rarefactive modes propagating obliquely to the magnetic field in a plasma with two distinct Boltzmann electron populations and cold ions is demonstrated. It is shown that paired electrostatic shocks observed over the Earth's auroral zone may be closely related to the rarefactive modes. As a measure of the collisionless dissipation encountered by the solitary waves, the linear response of the plasma to slow ion-acoustic waves is also examined.

• Research Organization: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
• OSTI ID: 5906422
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 26:8; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
FERMIONS
ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
ION WAVES
LEPTONS
LOW-BETA PLASMA
MAGNETIZATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA PRESSURE
PLASMA WAVES
QUASI PARTICLES
SOLITONS
TRAPPING