English

Global limits on kinetic Alfv\'{e}non speed in quasineutral plasmas

Plasma Physics 2015-05-27 v1

Abstract

Large amplitude kinetic Alfv\'{e}non (exact Alfv\'{e}n soliton) matching condition is investigated in quasineutral electron-ion and electron-positron-ion plasmas immersed in a uniform magnetic field. Using the standard pseudopotential method, the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations are exactly solved and a global allowed matching condition for propagation of kinetic solitary waves is derived. It is remarked that, depending on the plasma parameters, the kinetic solitons can be sub- or super-Alfv\'{e}nic, in general. It is further revealed that, either upper or lower soliton speed-limit is independent of fractional plasma parameters. Furthermore, the soliton propagation angle with respect to that of the uniform magnetic field is found to play a fundamental role in controlling the soliton matching speed-range.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1103.5372,
  title  = {Global limits on kinetic Alfv\'{e}non speed in quasineutral plasmas},
  author = {M. Akbari-Moghanjoughi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1103.5372},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

To be published in Physics of Plasmas