Modulational interaction between the short-wavelength lower-hybrid waves and slow, large-scale density fluctuations

Conditions are formulated for modulational instability of two modes with disparate time and space scales, and the modulational interaction of fast and short-wavelength lower-hybrid waves with slow, large-scale inertial Alfvén and ion-acoustic waves is analyzed. Instability is driven by Reynolds’ str...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of plasmas 2005-11, Vol.12 (11), p.112312-112312-11
Main Authors: Üçer, Defne, Shapiro, Vitali D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALFVEN WAVES
FLUCTUATIONS
ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
IONOSPHERE
LOWER HYBRID CURRENT DRIVE
LOWER HYBRID HEATING
MODULATION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SOLITONS
STRESSES
WAVELENGTHS
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Summary:Conditions are formulated for modulational instability of two modes with disparate time and space scales, and the modulational interaction of fast and short-wavelength lower-hybrid waves with slow, large-scale inertial Alfvén and ion-acoustic waves is analyzed. Instability is driven by Reynolds’ stresses exerted on plasma by the lower-hybrid waves. Reynolds’ stresses lead to the formation of background density modulations in which the lower-hybrid wave can be localized. It is concluded that the lower-hybrid solitary structures observed in the auroral ionosphere can be created by Reynolds’ stresses of the lower-hybrid waves. In many respects, the observed structures exhibit properties of wave localizations that result from modulational instability.
ISSN:1070-664X
1089-7674
DOI:10.1063/1.2135770