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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 78 » Issue 26
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4934–4937 (1997)

Dissipative Dynamics of Collisionless Nonlinear Alfvén Wave Trains

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M. V. Medvedev1, P. H. Diamond1, V. I. Shevchenko2, and V. L. Galinsky3
1Physics Department, University of California at San Diego,La Jolla, California 92093-0319
2Electrical & Computer Engineering Department,University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0407
3Scripps Institution of Oceanography,University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0210

Received 11 March 1997; published in the issue dated 30 June 1997

The nonlinear dynamics of collisionless Alfvèn trains, including resonant particle effects, is studied using the kinetic nonlinear Schrödinger (KNLS) equation model. Numerical solutions of the KNLS reveal the dynamics of Alfvén waves to be sensitive to the sense of polarization as well as the angle of propagation with respect to the ambient magnetic field. The combined effects of both wave nonlinearity and Landau damping result in the evolutionary formation of stationary S- and arc-polarized directional and rotational discontinuities. These wave forms are frequently observed in the interplanetary plasma.

© 1997 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4934
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4934
PACS:
52.35.Mw, 96.50.Bh, 96.50.Ci
 
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