Coronal heating by ion acoustic waves

A quantitative study is made based on the suggestion that coronal heating results from Landau damping of ion acoustic waves. It is shown that both ions and electrons are heated by nonlinear saturation of ion acoustic instability. Ions are heated more rapidly than the electrons.     

Spherical electron acoustic solitary waves in plasma with suprathermal electrons

A reductive perturbation technique is employed to solve the fluid-Poisson equations in spherical geometry describing a weakly nonlinear electron–acoustic (EA) waves in unmagnetized plasma consisting of stationary ions, cold electrons and kappa distributed hot electrons. It is shown that a variable coefficient Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation governs the evolution of scalar potential describing propagation of EA waves. The influence of suprathermality and geometry effects on propagation of EA solitary waves is investigated. We found that when electrons evolve toward their thermodynamic equilibrium, EA solitons are generated with large amplitudes. Also it is shown that EA solitary structures can be significantly modified by transverse perturbations.     

Effects of dust charge fluctuations and deviations from isothermality of electrons on nonlinear dust ion-acoustic waves

The effects of dust charge fluctuations and deviations from isothermality of electrons are incorporated in the study of nonlinear dust ion-acoustic waves. Deviations from isothermality of electrons are included in this model as a result of nonlinear resonant interaction of the electrostatic wave potential with electrons during its evolution. The basic properties of stationary structures are studied by employing the reductive perturbation method, and conditions for the formation of small but finite amplitude dust ion-acoustic solitary waves in the space dusty plasma situations are clearly explained. It is shown that a more depletion of the background free electrons owing to the attachment of these electrons to the surface of the dust grains during the charging process can lead to the formation of solitary waves with smaller amplitude. Furthermore, effects of the dust charge fluctuation and deviations from isothermality of electrons show a non-uniform behavior for the amplitude of solitary waves in transition from the Boltzmann electron distribution to a trapped electron one. It is also found that the dust charge fluctuation caused by trapped as well as free electrons is a source of dissipation, and is responsible for the formation of the dust ion-acoustic shock waves.     

Electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in an anisotropic plasma

In the solar wind, electrostatic ion cyclotron waves can be excited, by electrons or ions when the flow velocity becomes supersonic. The instability of these waves is investigated for a situation in which ions are streaming in opposite directions along the interplanetary magnetic field in a uniform background of relatively stationary electrons. Many modes become unstable under the existing conditions. It is conjectured that the excitation of this instability may lead to a steady state electrostatic turbulence in the solar wind.     

Low-frequency waves in asymmetric magnetized relativistic pair plasma

The properties of waves in a pulsar magnetosphere are considered in the most general case of a non-neutral, current-carrying pair plasma with arbitrary distribution functions for electrons and positrons. General dispersion relations are derived for a strong but finite magnetic field, including gyrotropic terms caused by the deviations from quasi-neutrality and the relative streaming of electrons and positrons. It is shown how the ellipticity of the wave polarization depends on the plasma parameters and angle of propagation. Two examples of plasma distributions are analysed numerically: a waterbag distribution and a piecewise distribution that models the numerical result for pair cascades. A possible application to the interpretation of the observed circular polarization of some pulsars is discussed.     

Modulational instability of ion-acoustic waves in a plasma with two-temperature kappa-distributed electrons

Existence and characteristics of ion-acoustic (IA) wave modulation are studied in a plasma with two-temperature electron satisfying kappa distribution. Based on the multiple time scales perturbation, a nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS) is derived. Similar to the case of double Maxwellian electrons, both polarities of envelope soliton can exist over restricted ranges of the fractional hot electron density ratio and two-temperature superthermal electrons. The transition from stable dark solitons to unstable bright ones shifts to the smaller wavelength regions in the presence of cool and hot superthermal electrons. It is shown that the small values of the hot electron populations leads to shrinking the modulation instability region. It is also found the instability growth rate reduces due to the presence of hot electrons. The result of present investigation contributes to the physics of wave modulation in Saturn’s magnetosphere where two-temperature electrons with kappa distribution exist.     

Modified electron thermal waves

The linear and nonlinear properties of the modified electron thermal waves are studied. The waves are of acoustic nature and can exist without significant damping in a two-electron temperature plasma. Nonlinearly, they can form propagating localized regions with depletion of hot electrons. Practical applications of our results to space plasmas are discussed.     

On the formation of electrostatic shock waves associated with auroral electron precipitation

Models of acceleration of auroral electrons by electrostatic shock waves are considered based on the model electron beam, calculated by Evans (1974), to account for the observed precipitating electron fluxes. Electron populations in our models include a primary accelerated beam, originating from the plasma sheet, the secondary electrons and the energy-degraded and backscattered primary electrons produced by precipitating electrons of that beam. We find a feasible electrostatic shock model with appropriate ion populations from considerations on the conditions for the existence of shock solutions.     

Current interruption in a collisionless plasma by non-linear electrostatic waves

The existence of current-interrupting non-linear electrostatic waves in the form of negative solitons is demonstrated. Self-consistent, non-linear electrostatic potentials are constructed assuming that a current may be interrupted by trapping current-carrying electrons in such a potential. A significant fraction of the current-carrying electrons is trapped by the potential if the electron thermal velocity is much less than the electron streaming velocity. In one class of solutions, the negative solitons, the current may be reduced to a fourth of its initial value in the limit of high ion-electron temperature ratio.     

Quasi-linear relaxation of electrons interacting with an inhomogeneous distribution of Langmuir waves

Quasi-linear theory, describing the diffusion of electrons in velocity space due to resonant interaction with Langmuir waves, is generalized to treat the case where the waves are distributed inhomogeneously (in clumps). The method used is a generalization of an approach developed by Morales and Lee (1974) to treat the interaction of electrons with a distribution of solitons. It is shown that quasi-linear theory, specifically the diffusion of electrons in velocity space due to resonant interaction with Langmuir waves, applies irrespective of how the waves are distributed in space, provided that an electron has multiple encounters with clumps of Langmuir waves, and that the evolution of the distribution of electrons is considered only on a time-scale long compared with the time between such encounters. This generalization of quasi-linear theory is of relevance to type III solar radio bursts, where the Langmuir waves are known to be distributed inhomogeneously, and yet the electron distribution is consistent with that expected from a balance between ballistic effects and quasi-linear relaxation.     

On the speed and shape of electron acoustic solitary waves

Electron acoustic solitary waves in a collisionless plasma consisting of a cold electron fluid and non-thermal hot electrons are investigated by a direct analysis of the field equations. The Sagdeev potential is obtained in terms of electron acoustic speed by simply solving an algebraic equation. It is found that the amplitude and width of the electron acoustic solitary waves as well as the parametric regime where the solitons can exist are very sensitive to the population of energetic non-thermal hot electrons. The soliton and double layer solutions are obtained as a small-amplitude approximation. The effect of non-thermal hot electrons is found to significantly change the properties of the electron acoustic solitary waves (EAWs). A comparison with the Viking Satellite observations in the day side auroral zone is also discussed.     

Obliquely propagating ion-acoustic waves in a magnetized electron-positron-ion plasma with trapped electrons

A theoretical investigation is carried out for understanding the basic features of oblique propagation of linear and nonlinear ion-acoustic waves subjected to an external magnetic field in an electron-positron-ion plasma which consists of a cold magnetized ion fluid, Boltzmann distributed positron, and electrons obeying a trapped distribution. In the linear regime, two dispersion curves are obtained. It is shown that the positron concentration causes the both modes to propagate with smaller phase velocities. Then, owing to the presence of resonant electrons, the modified Korteweg-de Vries equation describing the nonlinear dynamics of small but finite amplitude ion-acoustic waves is derived. It is found that the effects of external magnetic field (obliqueness), trapped electrons, positron concentration and temperature ratio significantly modify the basic features of solitary waves.     

Arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic solitary waves in superthermal electron-positron-ion magnetoplasma

Arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic solitary waves propagating in a magnetized plasma composed of positive ions, superthermal electrons and positrons are investigated. For this purpose, the ions are represented by the hydrodynamical fluid equations while the non-Maxwellian electrons and positrons densities are assumed to follow kappa (κ) distribution. The basic equations are reduced to a pseudoenergy-balance equation. Existence conditions for large amplitude solitary waves are presented. The analytical and numerical analysis of the latter show that the ion-acoustic solitary wave can propagate only in the subsonic region in our plasma system and it is significantly influenced by the plasma parameters. The present analysis could be helpful for understanding the nonlinear ion-acoustic solitary waves propagating in interstellar medium and pulsar wind, which contain an excess of superthermal particles.     

Two-soliton solution of ion acoustic solitary waves in nonplanar geometry

The nonlinear wave structures of ion acoustic waves (IAWs) in an unmagnetized plasma consisting of superthermal electrons and warm ions are studied in bounded nonplanar geometry. Using reductive perturbation technique we have derived cylindrical and spherical Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equations for IAWs to study the propagation of two-solitons. The presence of superthermally distributed electrons is shown to influence the propagation of two-solitons in nonplanar geometry.     

Quasi-linear interaction of whistler-mode waves and nonthermal electrons

In this investigation, we attempt to analyze the quasi-linear cyclotron instability (under the weak turbulence regime) for whistler-mode waves due to pitch angle anisotropy of nonthermal electrons. The motivation of this study is to explain the triggered discrete VLF emissions occurring in the terrestrial magnetosphere. The time evolution of the growth rate and the induced waves spectrum for a loss cone type of nonthermal electrons is analyzed numerically. The diffusion of particles in pitch angles due to quasilinear cyclotron instability is illustrated. It is shown that several major features of triggered VLF emissions can be explained by the stated instability. Some predictions of the theory is given and suggestions for further research are presented.On special leave during the summer of 1971 from the Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong.     

Dust ion-acoustic shock waves in nonextensive dusty plasma

A parametric survey on the propagation characteristics of the dust ion-acoustic (DIA) shock waves showing the effect of nonextesivity with nonextensive electrons in a dissipative dusty plasma system has been carried out using the reductive perturbation technique. We have considered continuity and momentum equations for inertial ions, q-distributed nonextensive electrons, and stationary charged dust grains, to derive the Burgers equation. It has been found that the basic features of DIA shock waves are significantly modified by the effects of electron nonextensivity and ion kinematic viscosity. Depending on the degree of nonextensivity of electrons, the dust ion-acoustic shock structures exhibit compression and rarefaction. The implications of our results would be useful to understand some astrophysical and cosmological scenarios like stellar polytropes, hadronic matter and quark-gluon plasma, protoneutron stars, dark-matter halos, etc., where effects of nonextensivity can play the significant roles.     

Head-on collision of electron acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with nonextensive hot electrons

The head-on collision between two electron-acoustic solitary waves (EASWs) in an unmagnetized plasma is investigated, including a cold electrons fluid, hot electrons, obeying a nonextensive distribution and stationary ions. By using the extended Poincaré-Lighthill–Kuo (PLK) perturbation method, the analytical phase shifts following the head-on collision are derived. The effects of the ratio of the number density of hot electrons to the number density of cold electrons α, and the nonextensive parameter q on the phase shifts are studied. It is found that q and the hot-to-cold electron density ratio significantly modify the phase shifts.     

Cylindrical and spherical electron acoustic solitary waves in the presence of superthermal hot electrons

Propagation of cylindrical and spherical electron-acoustic solitary waves in unmagnetized plasmas consisting of cold electron fluid, hot electrons obeying a superthermal distribution and stationary ions are investigated. The standard reductive perturbation method is employed to derive the cylindrical/spherical Korteweg-de-Vries equation which governs the dynamics of electron-acoustic solitons. The effects of nonplanar geometry and superthermal hot electrons on the behavior of cylindrical and spherical electron acoustic soliton and its structure are also studied using numerical simulations.     

Dust acoustic shock waves in a suprathermal dusty plasma with dust charge fluctuation

The properties of small but finite amplitude dust acoustic (DA) shock waves are studied in a charge varying dusty plasma with ions and electrons having kappa velocity distribution. We obtain the global Debye length including the influence of suprathermality effects and dust charge fluctuations. It is shown that the effects of suprathermality of ions/electrons and dust charge fluctuation significantly modify the basic properties of DA shock wave. We observe that only negative DA shock waves will be excited in this model. The amplitude of DA shock wave increases with deviation of electrons or ions from Maxwellian distribution via decrease of spectral index, κ _j (j=i,e denotes, ions and electrons, respectively). Also, it is indicated that the amplitude and steepness of the shock front decreases with an increase in the ion temperature.     

Effects of double temperature superthermal electrons on dust-ion-acoustic shock waves in electron-positron-ion dusty plasmas

A rigorous theoretical investigation on the characteristics of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) shock waves in an unmagnetized multi component electron-positron-ion dusty plasma (consisting of inertial ions, electrons of two distinct temperatures referred to as low and high temperature superthermal electrons where superthermality is introduced via the κ-type of nonthermal distribution, Boltzmann distributed positrons, and negatively charged immobile dust grains) has been made both theoretically and analytically. The hydrodynamic equation for inertial ions has been used to derive the Burgers equation. The influence of superthermal electrons, Maxwellian positrons and ion kinematic viscosity, which are found in this investigation, significantly modify the basic features of DIA shock waves, are briefly discussed. The present investigation can be very effective for studying and understanding the basic characteristics of shock wave propagation through different astrophysical situations where distinct temperature superthermal electrons dominate the wave dynamics.