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www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/12/291/2005/
doi:10.5194/npg-12-291-2005
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Kinetic slow mode-type solitons
1Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, Germany
2Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
Abstract. One-dimensional hybrid code simulations are presented, carried out in order both to study solitary waves of the slow mode branch in an isotropic, collisionless, medium-β plasma (βi=0.25) and to test the fluid based soliton interpretation of Cluster observed strong magnetic depressions (Stasiewicz et al., 2003; Stasiewicz, 2004) against kinetic theory. In the simulations, a variety of strongly oblique, large amplitude, solitons are seen, including solitons with Alfvenic polarization, similar to those predicted by the Hall-MHD theory, and robust, almost non-propagating, solitary structures of slow magnetosonic type with strong magnetic field depressions and perpendicular ion heating, which have no counterpart in fluid theory. The results support the soliton-based interpretation of the Cluster observations, but reveal substantial deficiencies of Hall-MHD theory in describing slow mode-type solitons in a plasma of moderate beta.
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Citation: Baumgärtel, K., Sauer, K., and Dubinin, E.: Kinetic slow mode-type solitons, Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 12, 291-298, doi:10.5194/npg-12-291-2005, 2005. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
