Alfven solitons created by the ponderomotive force of the lower hybrid waves
Abstract
There is evidence in the satellite observations that intensive lower hybrid wave activity is correlated with the deflection of the geomagnetic field at very low frequencies. We propose that this correlation is due to modulational interaction between the lower hybrid waves and short wavelength kinetic or inertial Alfven waves since only this type of Alfven waves are compressional, and can lead to modulational interaction. The driving force for interaction is the ponderomotive force of the lower hybrid waves which leads to the formation of quasineutral density modulations at very low frequency. The density holes associated with modulation act as the potential wells effective in trapping of lower hybrid waves, the trapped waves are enhanced in their amplitude leading to the deepening of the density holes. It is shown that above described modulational coupling of the lower hybrid and inertial Alfven waves lead to the formation of Alfven solitons moving along magnetic field with Alfven velocity and having a localized structure across the field.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..DPPGP1130U