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The evolution of strongly modulated, low-frequency, moderate-amplitude wave packets in a dispersive plasmaThe evolution of strongly modulated wave packets in a dispersive plasma that propagate parallel to the magnetic field is studied. Modulation effects are shown to reduce significantly (about 30 percent) the rate of spreading from that due to dispersion alone. For fluidlike behavior, nonlinearity has its greatest impact on evolution when the linear sound speed and initial wave packet speeds are well matched, resulting in a strong coupling between the wave magnetic and sonic components. Ion kinetic processes reduce the impact of nonlinearity and cause the rate of spreading to approach that expected from dispersion alone as the ratio of ion and electron temperatures, Ti/Te approaches 4. For Beta equal to or greater than 1 and Ti/Te of about 1, the coupled waveforms correspond qualitatively to kinetic treatments of the derivative nonlinear Schroedinger equation.
Document ID
19930038411
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Vasquez, Bernard J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Cargill, Peter J.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Physics of Fluids B
Volume: 5
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0899-8221
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Accession Number
93A22408
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1101
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-88-14163
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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