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www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/15/903/2008/
doi:10.5194/npg-15-903-2008
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Study of nonlinear ion- and electron-acoustic waves in multi-component space plasmas
1Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, New Panvel (W), Navi Mumbai – 410 218, India
2Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
3School of Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
4University of the Western Cape, Modderdam Road, Belville 7530, South Africa
Abstract. Large amplitude ion-acoustic and electron-acoustic waves in an unmagnetized multi-component plasma system consisting of cold background electrons and ions, a hot electron beam and a hot ion beam are studied using Sagdeev pseudo-potential technique. Three types of solitary waves, namely, slow ion-acoustic, ion-acoustic and electron-acoustic solitons are found provided the Mach numbers exceed the critical values. The slow ion-acoustic solitons have the smallest critical Mach numbers, whereas the electron-acoustic solitons have the largest critical Mach numbers. For the plasma parameters considered here, both type of ion-acoustic solitons have positive potential whereas the electron-acoustic solitons can have either positive or negative potential depending on the fractional number density of the cold electrons relative to that of the ions (or total electrons) number density. For a fixed Mach number, increases in the beam speeds of either hot electrons or hot ions can lead to reduction in the amplitudes of the ion-and electron-acoustic solitons. However, the presence of hot electron and hot ion beams have no effect on the amplitudes of slow ion-acoustic modes. Possible application of this model to the electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) observed in the plasma sheet boundary layer is discussed.
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Citation: Lakhina, G. S., Singh, S. V., Kakad, A. P., Verheest, F., and Bharuthram, R.: Study of nonlinear ion- and electron-acoustic waves in multi-component space plasmas, Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 15, 903-913, doi:10.5194/npg-15-903-2008, 2008. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
