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Nonlinear decay of a large-ampitude ion-acoustic wave

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

Nguyen The Hung
Affiliation:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédéralo do Lausanno, Switzerland, Centre do Recherches en Physique des Plasmas

Abstract

This paper studies the nonlinear coupling between an ion—acoustic wave and two Alfvén waves. On the basis of the MHD equations, this three-wave interaction is described within the coupled normal-mode theory. It is shown that a largeamplitude acoustic wave can decay into a pair of Alfvén waves in a high-β plasma. Calculations of the threshold condition and the maximum growth rate suggest that this decay process may occur both in the laboratory and in the ionosphere.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

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References

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