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Nonlinear dynamics of fast magnetosonic waves ducted by a smooth plasma inhomogeneity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 1997

V. M. NAKARIAKOV
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland
B. ROBERTS
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland
N. S. PETRUKHIN
Affiliation:
Applied Mathematics Department, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, 24 Minin St, Nizhny Novgorod 603600, Russia

Abstract

The weakly nonlinear dynamics of fast magnetosonic waves ducted by a region of density enhancement in a cold plasma is considered. A self-consistent 2D quasi-hyperbolic equation with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities is derived for perturbations of the transverse component of the plasma velocity. For a wave package with a narrow spectrum, the governing equation is reduced to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, whose structure is independent of the detailed density profile provided that it has a maximum (to be a potential well for the waves). The derived equation allows us to take into account the effect of the shape and steepness of the density profile on the wave dynamics.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
1997 Cambridge University Press

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