Electrostatic electron acoustic solitons in electron-positron-ion plasma with superthermal electrons and positrons

Properties of fully nonlinear electron-acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized and collisionless electron-positron-ion plasma containing cold dynamical electrons, superthermal electrons and positrons obeying Cairns’ distribution have been analyzed in the stationary background of massive positive ions. A linear dispersion relation has been derived, from which it is found that even in the absence of superthermal electrons, the superthermal positron component can provide the restoring force to the cold inertial electrons to excite electron-acoustic waves. Moreover, superthermal electron and positron populations seem to enhance the electron acoustic wave phase speed. For nonlinear analysis, Korteweg-de Vries equation is obtained using the reductive perturbation technique. It is found that in the presence of positron both hump and dip type solitons appear to excite. The present work may be employed to explore and to understand the formation of electron acoustic soliton structures in the space and laboratory plasmas with nonthermal electrons and positrons.     

Planar and nonplanar quantum dust ion-acoustic Gardner double layers in multi-ion dusty plasma

The longitudinal fast solitary waves induced by weakly relativistic positron showers of astrophysical origin are studied in a plasma system contaminated with some massive impurities in presence of superthermal effects. The superthermal effects are due to the high energy electrons. The impurities are dust corpuscles with positive and negative charges. It is noticed that increase in the kappa parameter of electrons and relativistic streaming factor of weakly relativistic positron shower, negative dust concentration invoke an enhancement in the strength of solitary wave. On the other hand increase in the shower’s temperature as well as positive dust concentration diminish the solitary hump strength. It is worth to mention that only hump type compressive fast solitary waves are predicted by our model, for the given set of plasma parameters, because the convective coefficient of the nonlinear governing equation for solitary wave remains positive in considered regime of interaction for plasma and positron shower. Our calculations in linear regime predict both the fast and slow positron shower induced longitudinal, electrostatic perturbations. Our results may be of importance in understanding the nonlinear propagation of waves in doped astrophysical superthermal plasmas with relativistic positron showers.     

Dust-ion-acoustic solitary waves and their multi-dimensional instability in a magnetized nonthermal dusty electronegative plasma

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made on multi-dimensional instability of obliquely propagating electrostatic dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) solitary structures in a magnetized dusty electronegative plasma which consists of Boltzmann electrons, nonthermal negative ions, cold mobile positive ions, and arbitrarily charged stationary dust. The Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived by the reductive perturbation method, and its solitary wave solution is analyzed for the study of the DIA solitary structures, which are found to exist in such a dusty plasma. The multi-dimensional instability of these solitary structures is also studied by the small-k (long wave-length plane wave) perturbation expansion technique. The combined effects of the external magnetic field, obliqueness, and nonthermal distribution of negative ions, which are found to significantly modify the basic properties of small but finite-amplitude DIA solitary waves, are examined. The external magnetic field and the propagation directions of both the nonlinear waves and their perturbation modes are found to play a very important role in changing the instability criterion and the growth rate of the unstable DIA solitary waves. The basic features (viz. speed, amplitude, width, instability, etc.) and the underlying physics of the DIA solitary waves, which are relevant to many astrophysical situations (especially, auroral plasma, Saturn’s E-ring and F-ring, Halley’s comet, etc.) and laboratory dusty plasma situations, are briefly discussed.     

Large-amplitude dust-ion acoustic solitary waves in a dusty plasma with nonthermal electrons

Propagation regimes of large-amplitude dust-ion acoustic solitary wave in a dusty plasma with nonthermal electrons are analyzed by employing the Sagdeev potential technique. Two domains of the Mach numbers are defined depending on the nonthermal and plasma parameters. The two types of soliton solution are found to be exited corresponding to certain values of the nonthermal parameter. Numerical solutions are presented that illustrate the dependence of soliton characteristics on practically interesting plasma and nonthermal parameters. The findings of this investigation could be useful in understanding the detected solitary waves in space plasma in the presence of nonthermal electrons such as electrostatic solitary structures observed in Saturn’s E-ring.     

Solitons and double-layers of electron-acoustic waves in magnetized plasma; an application to auroral zone plasma

A theoretical investigation is carried out for understanding the properties of electron-acoustic potential structures (i.e., solitary waves and double-layers) in a magnetized plasma whose constituents are a cold magnetized electron fluid, hot electrons obeying a nonthermal distribution, and stationary ions. For this purpose, the hydrodynamic equations for the cold magnetized electron fluid, nonthermal electron density distribution, and the Poisson equation are used to derive the corresponding nonlinear evolution equation; modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov (MZK) equation, in the small amplitude regime. The MZK equation is analyzed to examine the existence regions of the solitary pulses and double-layers. It is found that rarefactive electron-acoustic solitary waves and double-layers strongly depend on the density and temperature ratios of the hot-to-cold electron species as well as the nonthermal electron parameter.     

Electron-acoustic solitons in plasma with nonthermal electrons

Nonlinear electron-acoustic solitary waves (EASWs) are studied using Sagdeev’s pseudo-potential technique in a collisionless unmagnetized plasma consisting of a cold electron fluid, nonthermal hot electrons and stationary ions. It is shown that the presence of fast nonthermal electrons may modify the parametric region where electron-acoustic solitons may exist. Our investigation is of wide relevance to astronomers and space scientists working on interstellar space plasmas.     

Nonplanar solitons in a warm electronegative plasma with electron nonextensivity effects

The nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic waves is studied in an unmagnetized collissionless electronegative plasma, whose constituents are the inertial warm positive/negative ions and q-distributed nonextensive electrons. The latter have strong impact on the linear dispersion relation. However, for nonlinear analysis, a reductive perturbation technique is employed to derive a Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation accounting for nonthermal electrons in nonplanar geometries. Numerically, the effects of various plasma parameters, such as, the nonextensive parameter (q), the negative-to-positive ion mass ratio (α), the electron-to-positive ion number density ratio (μ), the positive ion-to-electron temperature ratio (θ _i ) and negative ion-to-electron temperature ratio (θ _n ), have been examined on the nonplanar compressive/rarefactive fast ion-acoustic solitons (where the wave phase speed is taken as λ>1). The relevance of our findings involving plasma wave excitations should be useful both for space and laboratory plasmas, where two distinct groups of ions besides the electrons, are present.     

Dust acoustic soliton energy in a mixed nonthermal high energy-tail electron distribution

Weak dust acoustic (DA) solitary waves are investigated in a mixed nonthermal high energy-tail electron distribution, focusing on the influence of an interplay between nonthermality and superthermality on the DA soliton energy. It is shown that in a pure superthermal plasma (α=0), electron thermalization (κ→∞) leads to an increase of the energy carried by the soliton. Addition of minute quantities of nonthermal electrons drastically modifies the κ-dependence of the soliton energy E _κ,α . The latter first decreases, then exhibits a local minimum before leveling at a constant value. The energy exchange between the non-Maxwellian electrons and the localized solitary structure depends drastically on the interplay between superthermality and nonthermality.     

Investigation on spectral character of ELF electromagnetic radiations during Leonid 2009 meteor shower

The problem of solitary electron acoustic (EA) wave propagation in a plasma with nonthermal hot electrons featuring the Tsallis distribution is addressed. A physically meaningful nonextensive nonthermal velocity distribution is outlined. It is shown that the effect of the nonthermal electron nonextensivity on EA waves can be quite important. Interestingly, we found that the phase speed of the linear EA mode increases as the entropic index q decreases. This enhancement is weak for q>1, and significant for q<1. For a given nonthermal state, the minimum value of the allowable Mach numbers is lowered as the nonextensive nature of the electrons becomes important. This critical limit is shifted towards higher values as the nonthermal character of the plasma is increased. Moreover, our plasma model supports rarefactive EA solitary waves the main quantities of which depend sensitively on q. This dependency (for q>1) becomes less noticeable as the nonthermal parameter decreases. Nevertheless, decreasing α yields for q<0 a different result, a trend which may be attributed to the functional form of the nonthermal nonextensive distribution. Our study (which is not aimed at putting the ad hoc Cairns distribution onto a more rigorous foundation) suggests that a background electron nonextensivity may influence the EA solitons.     

Cylindrical and spherical soliton collision of electron-acoustic waves in non-Maxwellian plasma

Generation of quasielastic electron-acoustic (EA) waves head-on collision are investigated in non-planar (cylindrical/spherical) plasma composed of cold electrons fluid, hot electrons obeying nonthermal distribution, and stationary ions. The cylindrical/spherical Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equations describing two bidirectional EA waves are derived and solved analytically. Numerical investigation have shown that only positive electron-acoustic (EA) structures can propagate and collide. The analytical phase shift |Δ _A | due to the non-Maxwellian (nonthermal) electrons is different from the Maxwellian case. Both the hot-to-cold electron number density ratio α and nonthermal parameter β have opposite effect on the phase shift behavior. The phase shift of the spherical EA waves is smaller than the cylindrical case, which indicates that the former is more stable for collision. The relevance of the present study to EA waves propagating in the Earth’s auroral zone is highlighted.     

Obliquely propagating solitary wave structures in nonextensive magneto-rotating plasmas

The propagation of the nonlinear electrostatic ion acoustic solitary wave structures in two component, non relativistic, homogenous, magneto rotating plasma are studied. The inertialess electrons are assumed to follow nonextensive q velocity distribution. Small amplitude reductive perturbation technique is applied to derive Korteweg de Vries (KdV) equation and its analytical solution is presented. The effects of variation of different plasma parameters on propagation characteristics of solitary wave structure in the presence of the Coriolis force are discussed. It is observed that nonextensive parameter q modifies the structure of solitary wave structures in rotating plasmas.     

Probing Twisted Magnetic Field Using Microwave Observations in an M Class Solar Flare on 11 February, 2014

This work demonstrates the possibility of magnetic-field topology investigations using microwave polarimetric observations. We study a solar flare of GOES M1.7 class that occurred on 11 February, 2014. This flare revealed a clear signature of spatial inversion of the radio-emission polarization sign. We show that the observed polarization pattern can be explained by nonthermal gyrosynchrotron emission from the twisted magnetic structure. Using observations of the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Radio Solar Telescope Network, and Solar Dynamics Observatory, we have determined the parameters of nonthermal electrons and thermal plasma and identified the magnetic structure where the flare energy release occurred. To reconstruct the coronal magnetic field, we use nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) and potential magnetic-field approaches. Radio emission of nonthermal electrons is simulated by the GX Simulator code using the extrapolated magnetic field and the parameters of nonthermal electrons and thermal plasma inferred from the observations; the model radio maps and spectra are compared with observations. We have found that the potential-magnetic-field approach fails to explain the observed circular polarization pattern; on the other hand, the Stokes-\(V\) map is successfully explained by assuming nonthermal electrons to be distributed along the twisted magnetic structure determined by the NLFFF extrapolation approach. Thus, we show that the radio-polarization maps can be used for diagnosing the topology of the flare magnetic structures where nonthermal electrons are injected.     

Ion acoustic drift solitons and shocks with κ-distributed electrons

The impact of superthermal particles on nonlinear drift solitary and shock like structures are presented in an inhomogeneous electron-ion plasma with κ-distributed electrons. It is shown that the amplitude of the drift solitons and shocks is modified significantly in the presence of superthermal particles. The condition for the existence of drift solitons is found modified in the presence of higher energy particles. Furthermore, Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is also derived for the present plasma model.     

Ion acoustic solitary waves in electron-positron-ion magneto-rotating Lorentzian plasmas

Nonlinear ion acoustic solitary wave structures in electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) magnetized rotating plasmas is studied. The electron and positron species are assumed to be nonthermal and follow the kappa distribution function. The Korteweg de Vries (kdV) equation is derived by employing the reductive perturbation technique for solitary wave in the nonlinear regime. The variation in the amplitude and width of the solitary wave are discussed with the effects of positron concentration, temperature ratio of kappa distributed electrons to positrons, spectral index of the positrons, direction of propagation of the wave with magnetic field and effective gyrofrequency of the rotating nonthermal plasmas. The numerical results are also presented for illustration.     

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.     

Electrostatic shock structures in a multi-species nonthermal dusty plasma

Propagation of the dust-acoustic shock waves (DASWs) in a dusty plasma containing arbitrarily charged dust, positive and negative ions following nonthermal (Cairn’s) distribution, and electrons following q-(nonextensive) distribution, has been investigated. The reductive perturbation technique is used to derive the Burgers equation for dust’s fluid dynamics. The basic features (viz. polarity, amplitude, speed, etc.) of DASWs are found to be significantly modified due to the effects of arbitrarily charged dust, number density and temperatures of heavier/lighter ions, nonextensive electrons, and dust kinematic viscosity. The present investigation can be very effective for understanding the nonlinear characteristics of the DASWs in space and laboratory dusty plasmas.     

Nonplanar Ion Acoustic Waves with Nonthermal Electrons

Using the standard reductive perturbation technique, nonlinear cylindrical and spherical Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equations are derived for the propagation of ion acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized collisionless plasma with nonthermal electrons and warm ions. The influence of nonthermally distributed electrons and the effects caused by the transverse perturbation on cylindrical and spherical ion acoustic waves (IAWs) are investigated. It is observed that the presence of nonthermally distributed electrons has a significant role in the nature of ion acoustic waves. In particular, when the nonthermal distribution parameter ?? takes certain values the usual cylindrical KP equation (CKPE) and spherical KP equation (SKPE) become invalid. One then has to have recourse to the modified CKPE or SKPE. Analytical solutions of both CKPE and SKPE and their modified versions are discussed in the present paper. The present investigation may have relevance in the study of propagation of IAWs in space and laboratory plasmas.     

Dust ion-acoustic solitary and shock waves in a dusty plasma with non-thermal electrons

A theoretical investigation of the one dimensional dynamics of nonlinear electrostatic dust ion-acoustic (DIA) waves in an unmagnetized dusty plasma consisting of ion fluid, non-thermal electrons and fluctuating immobile dust particles has been made by the reductive perturbation technique. The basic features of DIA solitary and shock waves are studied by deriving the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) and KdV Burger equations, respectively. It is shown that the special patterns of nonlinear electrostatic waves are significantly modified by the presence of the non-thermal electron component. In particular, the rarefactive solitary and shock structures are found with smaller amplitude in comparison to the isothermal case. The transition from DIA solitary to shock waves is also studied which is related to the contributions of the dispersive and dissipative terms. It is found that the dust charge fluctuation is a source of dissipation, and is responsible for the formation of the dust ion-acoustic shock waves. Furthermore, the dissipative effect becomes important and may prevail over that of dispersion as the population of non-thermal electrons present decreases. The present investigation may be of relevance to electrostatic solitary structures observed in many space dusty plasma, such as Saturn’s E-ring.     

Small amplitude electron-acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with superthermal hot electrons

In the present investigation, Electron acoustic solitons in a plasma consisting of cold electrons, superthermal hot electrons and stationary ions are studied. The basic properties of small but finite amplitude solitary potential structures that may exist in a given plasma system have been investigated theoretically using reductive perturbation technique. It has been found that the profile of electron acoustic solitary wave structures is very sensitive to relative hot electron density, $\alpha(=\frac{n_{h0}}{n_{c0}})$ , temperature of hot to cold electrons, $\theta(=\frac{T_{h}}{T_{c}})$ and the spectral index κ. The implications of the present study may be applied to explain some features of large amplitude localized structures that may occur in the plasma sheet boundary layer.