R. Bharuthram

Ion acoustic solitons and supersolitons in a magnetized plasma with nonthermal hot electrons and Boltzmann cool electrons

Arbitrary amplitude, ion acoustic solitons, and supersolitons are studied in a magnetized plasma with two distinct groups of electrons at different temperatures. The plasma consists of a cold ion fluid, cool Boltzmann electrons, and nonthermal energetic hot electrons. Using the Sagdeev pseudo-potential technique, the effect of nonthermal hot electrons on soliton structures with other plasma parameters is studied. Our numerical computation shows that negative potential ion-acoustic solitons and double layers can exist both in the subsonic and supersonic Mach number regimes, unlike the case of an unmagnetized plasma where they can only exist in the supersonic Mach number regime. For the first time, it is reported here that in addition to solitions and double layers, the ion-acoustic supersoliton solutions are also obtained for certain range of parameters in a magnetized three-component plasma model. The results show good agreement with Viking satellite observations of the solitary structures with density de...

Effect of ion temperature on ion-acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized plasma in presence of superthermal electrons

Obliquely propagating ion-acoustic soliatry waves are examined in a magnetized plasma composed of kappa distributed electrons and fluid ions with finite temperature. The Sagdeev potential approach is used to study the properties of finite amplitude solitary waves. Using a quasi-neutrality condition, it is possible to reduce the set of equations to a single equation (energy integral equation), which describes the evolution of ion-acoustic solitary waves in magnetized plasmas. The temperature of warm ions affects the speed, amplitude, width, and pulse duration of solitons. Both the critical and the upper Mach numbers are increased by an increase in the ion temperature. The ion-acoustic soliton amplitude increases with the increase in superthermality of electrons. For auroral plasma parameters, the model predicts the soliton speed, amplitude, width, and pulse duration, respectively, to be in the range of (28.7–31.8) km/s, (0.18–20.1) mV/m; (590–167) m, and (20.5–5.25) ms, which are in good agreement with Vik...

Electrostatic solitary structures in presence of non-thermal electrons and a warm electron beam on the auroral field lines

Electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) have been observed by satellites in the auroral region of the Earth’s magnetosphere. These ESWs are found to be having both positive and negative electrostatic potentials. Using the Sagdeeev psuedo-potential technique, arbitrary amplitude electron-acoustic solitary waves/double layers are studied in an unmagnetized plasma consisting of non-thermally distributed hot electrons, fluid cold electrons, a warm electron beam, and ions. The inertia of the warm electrons, and not the beam speed, is essential for the existence of positive potential solitary structures. Existence domains for positive as well as negative potential electrostatic solitons/double layers are obtained. For the typical auroral region parameters, the electric field amplitude of the negative potential solitons is found to be in the range ∼(3–30) mV/m and ∼(5–80) mV/m for the positive potential solitons. For the negative potential solitons/double layers, the amplitudes are higher when their widths are small...

Low frequency solitons and double layers in a magnetized plasma with two temperature electrons

Finite amplitude non-linear ion-acoustic solitary waves and double layers are studied in a magnetized plasma with cold ions fluid and two distinct groups of Boltzmann electrons, using the Sagdeev pseudo-potential technique. The conditions under which the solitary waves and double layers can exist are found both analytically and numerically. We have shown the existence of negative potential solitary waves and double layers for subsonic Mach numbers, whereas in the unmagnetized plasma they can only in the supersonic Mach number regime. For the plasma parameters in the auroral region, the electric field amplitude of the solitary structures comes out to be 49 mV/m which is in agreement of the Viking observations in this region.

Existence domains of arbitrary amplitude nonlinear structures in two-electron temperature space plasmas. II. High-frequency electron-acoustic solitons

Using the Sagdeev pseudopotential technique, the existence of large amplitude ion-acoustic solitons is investigated for a plasma composed of ions, and hot and cool electrons. Not only are all species treated as adiabatic fluids but the model for which inertial effects of the hot electrons is neglected whilst retaining inertia and pressure for the ions and cool electrons has also been considered. The focus of this investigation has been on identifying the admissible Mach number ranges for large amplitude nonlinear ion-acoustic soliton structures. The lower Mach number limit yields a minimum velocity for the existence of ion-acoustic solitons. The upper Mach number limit for positive potential solitons is found to coincide with the limiting value of the potential (positive) beyond which the ion number density ceases to be real valued, and ion-acoustic solitons can no longer exist. Small amplitude solitons having negative potentials are found to be supported when the temperature of the cool electrons is negligible.

Electron acoustic waves in a magnetized plasma with kappa distributed ions

Electron acoustic solitary waves in a two component magnetized plasma consisting of fluid cold electrons and hot superthermal ions are considered. The linear dispersion relation for electron acoustic waves is derived. In the nonlinear regime, the energy integral is obtained by a Sagdeev pseudopotential analysis, which predicts negative solitary potential structures. The effects of superthermality, obliquity, temperature, and Mach number on solitary structures are studied in detail. The results show that the superthermal index κ and electron to ion temperature ratio σ alters the regime where solitary waves can exist. It is found that an increase in magnetic field value results in an enhancement of soliton electric field amplitude and a reduction in soliton width and pulse duration.

Effect of excess superthermal hot electrons on finite amplitude ion-acoustic solitons and supersolitons in a magnetized auroral plasma

The effect of excess superthermal electrons is investigated on finite amplitude nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a magnetized auroral plasma. The plasma model consists of a cold ion fluid, Boltzmann distribution of cool electrons, and kappa distributed hot electron species. The model predicts the evolution of negative potential solitons and supersolitons at subsonic Mach numbers region, whereas, in the case of Cairns nonthermal distribution model for the hot electron species studied earlier, they can exist both in the subsonic and supersonic Mach number regimes. For the dayside auroral parameters, the model generates the super-acoustic electric field amplitude, speed, width, and pulse duration of about 18 mV/m, 25.4 km/s, 663 m, and 26 ms, respectively, which is in the range of the Viking spacecraft measurements.

Self-similar expansion of dusty plasmas

The radially symmetric self-similar expansion of a dusty plasma is investigated in cylindrical and spherical geometries. The electrons and ions are assumed to be in Boltzmann equilibria, while the dynamics of the dust particles is governed by the fluid equations. The effects of finite dust pressure as well as dust-charge variation are included.

Existence domains of slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons in two-ion space plasmas

A study of large amplitude ion-acoustic solitons is conducted for a model composed of cool and hot ions and cool and hot electrons. Using the Sagdeev pseudo-potential formalism, the scope of earlier studies is extended to consider why upper Mach number limitations arise for slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons. Treating all plasma constituents as adiabatic fluids, slow ion-acoustic solitons are limited in the order of increasing cool ion concentrations by the number densities of the cool, and then the hot ions becoming complex valued, followed by positive and then negative potential double layer regions. Only positive potentials are found for fast ion-acoustic solitons which are limited only by the hot ion number density having to remain real valued. The effect of neglecting as opposed to including inertial effects of the hot electrons is found to induce only minor quantitative changes in the existence regions of slow and fast ion-acoustic solitons.

Nonlinear low frequency electrostatic structures in a magnetized two-component auroral plasma

Finite amplitude nonlinear ion-acoustic solitons, double layers, and supersolitons in a magnetized two-component plasma composed of adiabatic warm ions fluid and energetic nonthermal electrons are studied by employing the Sagdeev pseudopotential technique and assuming the charge neutrality condition at equilibrium. The model generates supersoliton structures at supersonic Mach numbers regime in addition to solitons and double layers, whereas in the unmagnetized two-component plasma case only, soliton and double layer solutions can be obtained. Further investigation revealed that wave obliqueness plays a critical role for the evolution of supersoliton structures in magnetized two-component plasmas. In addition, the effect of ion temperature and nonthermal energetic electron tends to decrease the speed of oscillation of the nonlinear electrostatic structures. The present theoretical results are compared with Viking satellite observations.