Abstract
The nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic waves is considered in a magnetized plasma, composed of kappa distributed electrons and an inertial ion fluid. The fluid-dynamical system of equations governing the dynamics of ion-acoustic waves is reduced to a pseudoenergy-balance equation. The properties of arbitrary amplitude, obliquely propagating ion-acoustic solitary waves are thus investigated via a mechanical-motion analog (Sagdeev potential) approach. The presence of excess superthermal electrons is shown to influence the nature of magnetized ion-acoustic solitons. The influence on the soliton characteristics of relevant physical parameters such as obliqueness (the angle between soliton propagation direction and magnetic field), the electron deviation from a Maxwellian ("superthermality") and the soliton speed is investigated.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 032310 |
| Journal | Physics of Plasmas |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
This work was supported by a UK EPSRC Science and Innovation award to Queen’s University Belfast Centre for Plasma Physics (Grant No. EP/D06337X/1). Enlightening discussions with Frank Verheest (Universiteit Gent, Belgium) are warmly acknowledged. N.S.S. would like to thank Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India for providing leave. The research is also supported in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF). Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and therefore, NRF does not accept any liability in regard thereto.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Queen’s University Belfast Centre for Plasma Physics | |
| Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | EP/D06337X/1 |
| National Research Foundation |