G. L. Kalra

Slipping stream instability in anisotropic plasma with magnetic shear

Starting with the Chew, Goldberger & Low equations, an analysis is made of instability arising due to a tangential velocity discontinuity in a dilute plasma. The velocities on either side are parallel but oppositely directed. Two cases are considered: (i) the magnetic field is uniform and everywhere transverse to the motion, and (ii) the magnetic field vectors on either side are orthogonal, being parallel to the motion on one side and perpendicular on the other. The conditions for instability are obtained and it is found that the effect of magnetic field is destabilizing in both cases. The effect of orthogonality of magnetic fields on the conventional fire-hose instability for a uniform, static plasma is also discussed as special case.

Firehose and mirror instabilities in a collisionless heat conducting plasma

On utilise les equations de Chew, Goldberger et Low, modifiees pour inclure la correction du flux thermique

Size of ambiplasma domains in the Universe

Assuming that the initial state of the Universe can be simulated by a thin large-scale homogeneous ambiplasma described by fluid type equations for charged particles (both matter and antimatter particles), stability calculations have been carried out of the various normal modes which might be supported by such a system. The present simplified analysis does not lead to the formation of matter-antimatter symmetric domains smaller than the size of the proto-metagalaxy (Alfvén, 1981) from the initial state of the Universe.

Stability of a collisionless contact discontinuity

The stability of a contact discontinuity in a collisionless plasma is examined. It is shown that the discontinuity can become unstable when the pressure component normal to the magnetic field is not continuous across the discontinuity. Even when the system is unstable, the growth rates are very small and unimportant in the context of wave propagation, except when the propagation is almost normal to the field. The instability could, however, lead to the slow dissipation of contact discontinuities in the solar wind and in the day side of the cusp region of the solar wind-magnetosphere boundary.

Stability of the magnetopause

The Magnetosphere-Solar Wind boundary is treated as a tangential discontinuity between collisionless plasma described by C.G.L. equations. An estimate is made, analytically, of the minimum shear speed required to render the interface unstable for propagation in any arbitrary direction. It is found that even systems, which are, for all shear speeds, stable towards propagation parallel to the field, are rendered unstable by propagation away from the field, in some velocity domain. Numerical evaluations for parameters characteristic of the Solar wind-Magnetosphere boundary show that the interface could be unstable even under relatively quiet conditions.

Discontinuities and the magnetospheric phenomena

Abstract Wave coupling at contact discontinuities has an important bearing on the transmission of waves from the solar wind into the magnetosphere across the cusp region of the solar wind-magnetosphere boundary and on the propagation of geomagnetic pulsations in the polar exosphere. Keeping this in view, the problems of wave coupling across a contact discontinuity in a collisionless plasma, described by a set of double adiabatic fluid equations derived by Chew , Goldberger and LOW (1956) is examined. The magnetic field is taken normal to the interface and it is shown that total reflection is not possible for any angle of incidence. The Alfven and the magneto-acoustic waves are not coupled. The transmission is most efficient for small density discontinuities. Inhibition of the transmission of the Alfven wave by the sharp density gradients above the F2-peak in the polar exosphere appears to account for the decrease in the pulsation amplitude, on the ground, as the poles are approached from the auroral zone.

Oscillations in the primeval ambiplasma in the Universe

This paper discusses the propagation of waves in the early Universe simulated by rarefied, homogeneous ambiplasma (a mixed matter-antimatter ionized gas) placed in a uniform magnetic field. A rich variety of oscillations appear due to enhanced degrees of freedom in the ambiplasma. These oscillations have been analyzed for the propagation vector along and across the direction of magnetic field both in a symmetric and asymmetric ambiplasma. It is found that the oscillations do not grow in different situations which have been discussed. Dispersion curves have been drawn and various cut-offs and resonances have been found out. The study is concluded by highlighting some characteristic features of the waves in the ambiplasma.

Boundary conditions in the presence of Hall current of finite ion Larmor radius effects

Boundary conditions appropriate to a model with finite ion mass corrections of ideal hydromagnetic theory are reviewed. It is shown that these boundary conditions have been correctly satisfied in earlier theory for the stability of an interface between two semi-infinite regions. This theory predicts instability due to Hall current.

Gravitational instability of suprathermal hydromagnetic plasma

The paper models the suprathermal plasma as the concatenation of two different gravitating fluids each having its own separate density and pressure. One of the fluids has isotropic pressure while the other has an anisotropic pressure. The system is subjected to a uniform magnetic field which is frozen with the fluids. The gravitational instability of the model for low frequency plane waves has been investigated in a linear framework for plasma parameters relevant to the spiral arms of the galaxy and the cosmic gas clouds. The analysis shows that the wavelength of the instability is strongly dependent upon the anisotropy of the non-thermal plasma.

Wave-coupling at the magnetopause

The paper considers wave coupling for an arbitrary direction of propagation on the basis of single fluid hydromagnetic equations appropriate for a rarefied plasma. The analysis is used to study the transfer of solar wind momenta into the magnetosphere. It is found that wave refraction is significant only during disturbed conditions for waves travelling with the wind. Enhanced reflection of waves might be important even under quiet conditions in the flanks of the magnetosphere.