Roles of positively charged heavy ions and degenerate plasma pressure on cylindrical and spherical ion acoustic solitary waves

The properties of heavy-ion-acoustic (HIA) solitary structures associated with the nonlinear propagation of cylindrical and spherical electrostatic perturbations in an unmagnetized, collisionless dense plasma system has been investigated theoretically. Our considered model contains degenerate electron and inertial light ion fluids, and positively charged static heavy ions, which is valid for both of the non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic limits. The Korteweg-de Vries (K-dV) and modified K-dV (mK-dV) equations have been derived by employing the reductive perturbation method, and numerically examined in order. It has been found that the effect of degenerate pressure and number density of electron and inertial light ion fluids, and positively charged static heavy ions significantly modify the basic features of HIA solitary waves. It is also noted that the inertial light ion fluid is the source of dispersion for HIA waves and is responsible for the formation of solitary waves. The basic features and the underlying physics of HIA solitary waves, which are relevant to some astrophysical compact objects, are briefly discussed.     

Low frequency collective modes in dense relativistic-degenerate strongly coupled plasma

It is shown that low frequency electrostatic ion mode couples with electromagnetic shear Alfven mode in a dense plasma containing strongly coupled non-degenerate ion and relativistic degenerate electron fluids. By employing the appropriate fluid equations, a linear dispersion equation is obtained which shows modifications due to ion correlations and electron relativistic degeneracy. The results are discussed in the ultra-relativistic and weak-relativistic limits and implications of the results in dense degenerate plasmas of astrophysical origin (e.g., white dwarf stars) are pointed out with possible consequences.     

Low frequency shear electromagnetic modes in strongly coupled, relativistic-degenerate, astrophysical electron-positron-ion plasmas

Starting from appropriate fluid equations, a dispersion relation describing the properties of low frequency (as compared to the ion gyrofrequency) shear electromagnetic mode in an ultra-dense, relativistic-degenerate plasma is derived and examined. The plasma constituents are fully degenerate electrons and positrons, and strongly correlated non-degenerate ions. It is found that the shear mode can couple with the electrostatic ion mode under certain circumstances. The electron and positron relativistic degeneracy and ion correlations significantly affect the waves. However, the electron degeneracy pressure is dominant because the density balance changes due to the presence of ions in electron-positron pair plasma. The results are discussed numerically in the ultra-relativistic and weakly-relativistic limits, indicating relevance to the dense plasmas, produced in laboratory (e.g., super-intense laser-dense matter experiments), and astrophysical regimes.     

Ion acoustic soliton in relativistic degenerate electron-positron-ion plasma

Large amplitude ion-acoustic (IA) soliton in a fully relativistic plasma consisting of relativistic cold ions and relativistic degenerate electrons and positrons are investigated. It is shown that the features of IA soliton are strengthened increasingly with relativistic effects. The relativistic degeneracy of electrons and positrons acts in opposite way on the properties of the IA soliton. The latter becomes more flatten in the first case and narrower in the second one.     

Dust acoustic shock waves in suprathermal dusty plasma in the presence of ion streaming with dust charge fluctuations

Dust acoustic (DA) shock waves are investigated in a dusty plasma having a high-energy-tail electron distribution. The effects of ion streaming, charge variation and electron deviation from the Maxwellian distribution on the DA shock wave are then considered. It is shown that as the suprathermal character of the plasma is increased, the potential amplitude enhances. It is also found that the ion temperature may be destructive for the formation of DA shock waves. Their strength decreases with increasing ion streaming speed. Our results may be useful in understanding the basic nonlinear features of the DA wave propagation that may occur in space dusty plasmas, especially those including a relative motion between species (comet tails, solar wind streams, etc.).     

Ion-acoustic shock waves in a plasma with weakly relativistic warm ions, thermal positrons and a background electron nonextensivity

A weakly nonlinear analysis is carried out to derive a Korteweg–de Vries-Burgers-like equation for small, but finite amplitude, ion-acoustic waves in a dissipative plasma consisting of weakly relativistic ions, thermal positrons and nonextensive electrons. The travelling wave solution has been acquired by employing the tangent hyperbolic method. Our results show that in a such plasma, ion-acoustic shock waves, the strength and steepness of which are significantly modified by relativistic, nonextensive and dissipative effects, may exist. Interestingly, we found that because of ion kinematic viscosity, an initial solitonic profile develops into a shock wave. This later evolves towards a monotonic profile (dissipation-dominant case) as the electrons deviate from their Maxwellian equilibrium. Our investigation may help to understand the dissipative structures that may occur in high-energy astrophysical plasmas.     

Dust ion-acoustic solitary waves in a dusty plasma with arbitrarily charged dust and flat-trapped electrons

The properties of arbitrary amplitude dust ion-acoustic (DIA) solitary waves (SWs) in a dusty plasma containing warm adiabatic ions, electrons following flat-topped velocity distribution, and arbitrarily (positively or negatively) charged immobile dust is studied by the pseudo-potential approach. The effects of ion temperature, resonant electrons, and dust number density are found to significantly modify the basic features of the DIA-SWs as well modify the parametric regime for the existence of compressive DIA-SWs. The pseudo-potential for small but finite amplitude limit is also analytically analyzed.     

Propagation of cylindrical acoustic waves in dusty plasma with positive dust

The hydrodynamic equations of positive and negative dust, Boltzmann electron and ion density distribution, and Poisson equation are used along with the reductive perturbation method to derive a cylindrical Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (CKP) equation. G′/G expansion method is used to obtain a new class of solutions. At certain condition, the solutions degenerate to solitary wave solutions. The effects of the physical parameters on the characteristics of solitary pulses are examined. The results give elucidation of the properties of dust acoustic solitary pulses in multicomponent space plasmas, particularly in interstellar dust clouds in a galactic disk and astrophysical plasma systems.     

Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation for solitary waves in warm dense astrophysical electron-positron-ion plasmas

Theoretical investigation is carried out to understand the dynamics and stability of three dimensional ion solitary waves propagating in dense plasma comprising of ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons and positrons and warm ions. A linear dispersion relation is derived which shows a strong dependence of wave on positron concentration (through the change of density balance) and ion-to-degenerate electron temperature ratio. A nonlinear Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation is derived by employing the reductive perturbation technique and solved analytically and the conditions for existence of stable solitary waves are found. The analysis reveals that only compressive solitary waves exist in the system. Effects of the change of density balance and Fermi temperature ratios are studied in detail, both analytically and numerically. Furthermore, the conditions for stable solitary waves are discussed by using energy consideration method. The numerical results are also presented by using the parameters consistent with the degenerate and ultrarelativistic astrophysical plasmas.     

The models for radio emission from pulsars–The outstanding issues

The theory of pulsar radio emission is reviewed critically, emphasizing reasons why there is no single, widely-accepted emission mechanism. The uncertainties in our understanding of how the magnetosphere is populated with plasma preclude predicting the properties of the emission from first principles. Some important observational features are incorporated into virtually all the proposed emission mechanisms, and other observational features are either controversial or fail to provide criteria that clearly favor one mechanism over others. It is suggested that the criterion that the emission mechanism apply to millisecond, fast young, and slow pulsars implies that it is insensitive to the magnetic field strength. It is argued that coherent emission processes in all astrophysical and space plasmas consist of emission from many localized, transient subsources, that any theory requires both an emission mechanism and a statistical theory for the subsource, and, that this aspect of coherent emission has been largely ignored in treatments of pulsar radio emission. Several specific proposed emission mechanisms are discussed critically: coherent curvature emission by bunches, relativistic plasma emission, maser curvature emission, cyclotron instability and free electron maser emission. It is suggested that some form of relativistic plasma emission is the most plausible candidate although one form of maser curvature emission and free electron maser emission are not ruled out. Propagation effects are discussed, emphasizing the interpretation of jumps between orthogonal polarizations.     

Arbitrary amplitude dust acoustic solitary waves in an electron-depleted dusty plasma with two high energy-tail ion distributions

Arbitrary amplitude dust acoustic waves (DAW’s) in two high energy-tail ion distributions are investigated. The electron number density has been assumed sufficiently depleted during the charging of the dust grains, on account of the attachment of the background plasma electrons on the surface of the dust grains. Our results reveal that under certain conditions, DA solitary waves with either negative or positive potential may be admitted. The high degree of suprathermalization of the relatively low temperature ion component favors the development of compressive localized structures. This behavior is preserved to a large extent in the small but finite amplitude regime. This means that the presence of additional relatively low temperature suprathermal ions does not only significantly modify the basic properties of DA structures, but also causes the existence of positive solitary potentials. This feature is completely new in a dusty plasma with two suprathermal ion components with widely disparate temperatures. Our results may be relevant to a number of space dusty plasma systems, particularly, the Saturn’s F-ring where electron depletion and suprathermality are thought to come into play.     

Relativistic anisotropic pair plasmas

The properties of waves able to propagate in a relativistic pair plasma are at the basis of the interpretation of several astrophysical observations. For instance, they are invoked in relation to radio emission processes in pulsar magnetospheres and to radiation mechanisms for relativistic radio jets. In such physical environments, pair plasma particles probably have relativistic, or even ultrarelativistic, temperatures. Besides, the presence of an extremely strong magnetic field in the emission region constrains the particles to one-dimensional motion: all the charged particles strictly move along magnetic field lines.
We take anisotropic effects and relativistic effects into account by choosing one-dimensional relativistic Jűttner–Synge distribution functions to characterize the distribution of electrons and/or positrons in a relativistic, anisotropic pair plasma. The dielectric tensor, from which the dispersion relation associated with plane wave perturbations of such a pair plasma is derived, involves specific coefficients that depend on the distribution function of particles. A precise determination of these coefficients, using the relativistic one-dimensional Jűttner–Synge distribution function, allows us to obtain the appropriate dispersion relation. The properties of waves able to propagate in anisotropic relativistic pair plasmas are deduced from this dispersion relation. The conditions in which a beam and a plasma, both ultrarelativistic, may interact and trigger off a two-stream instability are obtained from this same dispersion relation. Two astrophysical applications are discussed.     

Solitary waves in a dusty plasma with negatively (positively) charged dust grains and non-thermal electrons

For an unmagnetized multicomponent dusty plasma, the effects of non-thermal electron distribution, ion temperature and two oppositely charged dust grains are incorporated in the study of arbitrary amplitude solitary waves. An energy-like integral equation involving Sagdeev potential is derived, and the existence, formation and basic properties of solitons are studied. It is also found a definite interval for the Mach number for which solitary waves exist and depends sensitively upon the population of fast or non-thermal electrons present. Our results should be useful to understand the properties of localized electrostatic disturbances that may occur in space dusty plasma.     

Investigation of the properties of electrostatic IA solitary wave structures in negative ion magneto-plasmas with superthermal electrons

A rigorous theoretical investigation is carried out in analyzing the excitation of electrostatic ion acoustic (IA) solitary wave (SW) structures in two dimensional negative ion magneto-plasmas with superthermal electrons (following κ type distribution). The Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived by employing the well known reductive perturbation method, and the analytical solution of ZK equation assists to find out the SW profiles along with their properties. The consequences of different plasma parameters (regarding our considered plasma system) variation on SW structures has been studied. It is found that magnetic field intensity, superthermal parameter κ and temperature of positive and negative ions as well as their densities significantly modify the basic characteristics (amplitude, width, etc.) of the SW waves. A comparison of the SW structures is also presented when the electrons are Maxwellian to when they are superthermal. The relevance of the findings of this work with astrophysical plasmas is briefly pointed out.     

Arbitrary Amplitude Ion Acoustic Solitary Waves in An Unmagnetized Two Electron Population Ultra-Relativistic Dense Plasmas

The nonlinear wave structure of arbitrary amplitude ion acoustic solitary waves (IASWs) are studied in the Sagdeev’s pseudopotential framework for an ultra-relativistic degenerate dense plasma comprising cold and hot electrons and inertial ultra-cold ions. By employing standard normal-mode analysis the dispersion relation for linear waves is studied. The numerical results are presented to understand the features of ion acoustic solitary wave structures. It is shown that the present plasma model supports IASWs having positive potential well. Also, it is found that the small amplitude rarefactive double layer solution can exist in such a plasma system in some parametric region. It is shown that solitary structures and double layers are affected by relevant plasma parameters.     

Scalable Dynamics of High Energy Relativistic Electrons: Theory, Numerical Simulations and Experimental Results

Similarity theory, which is necessary in order to apply the results of laboratory astrophysics experiments to relativistic astrophysical plasmas, is presented. The analytical predictions of the similarity theory are compared with PIC numerical simulations and the most recent experimental data on monoenergetic electron acceleration in diluted plasmas and high harmonic generation at overdense plasma boundaries. We demonstrate that similarity theory is a reliable tool for explaining a surprisingly wide variety of laboratory plasma phenomena the predictions of which can be scaled up to astrophysical dimensions.     

Transport phenomena and abundance anomalies in cosmic plasma

Hydrodynamical equations for a fully ionized hydrogen-helium plasma are derived by the Chapman-Enskog method. The electron and ion transport coefficients are found as the functions of electron and ion temperatures and number densities as well as of the magnetic field strength. The presented equations are needed for describing transport phenomena in laboratory and cosmic plasmas. It is shown that transport phenomena can produce abundance anomalies; e. g., a sound wave propagating through a homogeneous plasma may be accompanied by the oscillations of chemical composition. Various astrophysical consequences of the theory are discussed.     

Influence of arbitrarily charged dust and trapped electrons on propagation of localized dust ion-acoustic waves

A theoretical investigation is developed to study the existence, formation and basic properties of arbitrary amplitude dust ion-acoustic solitary potentials in a dusty plasma consisting of warm ions, trapped electrons and immobile negative (positive) dust particles. It is found a definite interval for the Mach number for which solitary waves exist and depend sensitively on the ion temperature and negative (positive) dust concentration. In addition, the effects of ion temperature, two oppositely charged dust species and resonant electrons on the shape of the solitary waves are also investigated extensively. For both cases of negative and positive dust grains, the effect of ion temperature is found to be destructive for the formation of localized structures. Further, the amplitude of the solitary structures decreases (increases) with the increase in the negative (positive) dust concentration.     

Electron surfing acceleration in oblique magnetic fields

Initially, inhomogeneous plasma jets, ejected by active galactic nuclei and associated with gamma-ray bursts, are thermalized by the formation of internal shocks. Jet subpopulations can hereby collide at Lorentz factors of a few. As the resulting relativistic shock expands into the upstream plasma, a significant fraction of the upstream ions is reflected. These ions, together with downstream ions that leak through the shock, form relativistic beams of ions that outrun the shock. The thermalization of these beams via the two-stream instability is thought to contribute significantly to plasma heating and particle acceleration by the shock. Here, the capability of a two-stream instability to generate relativistic field-aligned and cross-field electron flow, is examined for a magnetized plasma by means of a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The electrons interact with the developing quasi-electrostatic waves and oblique magnetic fields. The simulation results bring forward evidence that such waves, by their non-linear interactions with the plasma, produce a highly relativistic field-aligned electron flow and electron energies, which could contribute to the radio synchrotron emissions from astrophysical jets, to ultrarelativistic leptonic subpopulations propagating with the jet and to the halo particles surrounding the accretion disc of the black hole.