We present a coupling between an analytical three-dimensional model covering the plasma flow behaviour through the magnetopause transition layer near a reconnection site, with results from a global MHD simulation describing the plasma flow in the magnetosheath. The structure of the plasma flow near a reconnection site at the dayside terrestrial magnetopause is investigated, together with the development of the magnetopause transition region.

We report on a comparison of high-resolution numerical simulations of Lagrangian particles advected by incompressible turbulent hydro- and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. Numerical simulations were performed with up to 10243 collocation points and 10 million particles in the Navier–Stokes case and 5123 collocation points and 1 million particles in the MHD case. In the hydrodynamics case our findings compare with recent experiments from Mordant et al. (2004 New J. Phys.6, 116) and Xu et al. (2006 Phys. Rev. Lett.96, 024503). They differ from the simulations of Biferale et al. (2004 Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 064502) due to differences of the ranges chosen for evaluating the structure functions. In Navier–Stokes turbulence intermittency is stronger than predicted by the multifractal approach of Biferale et al. (2004 Phys. Rev. Lett.93, 064502) whereas in MHD turbulence the predictions from the multifractal approach are more intermittent than observed in our simulations. In addition, our simulations reveal that Lagrangian Navier–Stokes turbulence is more intermittent than MHD turbulence, whereas the situation is reversed in the Eulerian case. Those findings can not consistently be described by the multifractal modeling. The crucial point is that the geometry of the dissipative structures have different implications for Lagrangian and Eulerian intermittency. Application of the multifractal approach for the modeling of the acceleration probability density functions works well for the Navier–Stokes case but in the MHD case just the tails are well described.

Stars are formed as a result of the gravitational (Jeans) collapse of dense clumps in interstellar clouds. These clouds are partially ionized by nearby ionizing sources. We investigate the gravitational instability in such molecular clouds considering the non-Boltzmannian distribution for electrons and ions, which is more realistic than the Boltzmannian distribution. Assuming the perturbation (fluctuation) response in a radial direction as a mathematical analogue of the x-direction in the plane geometry approximation in the form f ∼ exp(ikx–iωt), the equations of motion for different species of the multi-fluid plasma are linearized. Jeans' swindle is used as a local approximation for the equilibrium and the dispersion relation is derived by usual normal mode analysis. Then, an analytical solution to the dispersion equation with an explanation of the effects on star formation is given.

The dispersion relation of azimuthal electromagnetic surface waves on a magnetized annular plasma surrounded by a metallic cylindrical coaxial anisotropic dielectric lined waveguide is obtained. The thickness of the dielectric and its location in the waveguide are studied with respect to their effects on the number of spectra observed. The graphs of frequency spectra against the ratio of radii of the annular plasma and η = ωpe/Ωe are plotted. Finally, surface E-modes for coaxial anisotropic and isotropic dielectrics have been investigated.

Collisionless magnetic reconnection dynamics is considered by including the effects of electron inertia as well as parallel electron compressibility. A fluid treatment is adopted for both electrons and ions. Collisionless plasma dynamics properties near a two-dimensional X-type magnetic neutral line in the steady state are explored. The effects of electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility on the hyperbolicity (or lack thereof) of the magnetic field lines in the neutral layer are discussed. A unified linear tearing-mode formulation incorporating both electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility is given. The parallel-electron-compressibility branch is shown to couple in general to the electron-inertia branch in the presence of resistivity. A sufficient condition for linear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states of this collisionless plasma system signifying current confinement is deduced. Bounds on the equilibrium current gradient are shown to constitute sufficient conditions for nonlinear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states via nonlinear bounds for a suitable perturbation norm.

The solitary structures of the ion-acoustic waves have been considered in a plasma consisting of warm adiabatic ions and non-thermal electrons (due to the presence of fast energetic electrons) having a vortex-like velocity distribution function (due to the presence of trapped electrons), immersed in a uniform (space-independent) and static (time-independent) magnetic field. The nonlinear dynamics of ion-acoustic waves in such a plasma is governed by the Schamel's modified Korteweg–de Vries–Zakharov–Kuznetsov (S-ZK) equation. This equation admits solitary wave solutions having a profile sech4. When the coefficient of the nonlinear term of this equation vanishes, the vortex-like velocity distribution function of electrons simply becomes the non-thermal velocity distribution function of electrons and the nonlinear behaviour of the same ion-acoustic wave is described by a Korteweg–de Vries–Zakharov–Kuznetsov (KdV-ZK) equation. This equation admits solitary wave solutions having a profile sech2. A combined S–KdV–ZK equation more efficiently describes the nonlinear behaviour of an ion-acoustic wave when the vortex-like velocity distribution function of electrons approaches the non-thermal velocity distribution function of electrons, i.e. when the contribution of trapped electrons tends to zero. This combined S-KdV-ZK equation admits an alternative solitary wave solution having a profile different from either sech4 or sech2. The condition for the existence of this alternative solitary wave solution has been derived. It is found that this alternative solitary wave solution approaches the solitary wave solution (the sech2 profile) of the KdV-ZK equation when the contribution of trapped electrons tends to zero. The three-dimensional stability of these solitary waves propagating obliquely to the external uniform and static magnetic field has been investigated by the multiple-scale perturbation expansion method of Allen and Rowlands. The instability condition and the growth rate of the instability have been derived at the lowest order. It is also found that the instability condition and growth rate of instability of the alternative solitary waves are exactly the same as those of the solitary waves as determined from the KdV-ZK equation (the sech2 profile) when the contribution of trapped electrons tends to zero.

Small-amplitude electrostatic solitary waves are investigated in unmagnetized dusty plasmas with variable charge resonant trapped dust particles. It is found that under certain conditions spatially localized structures, the height and nature of which depend sensitively on the plasma parameters, can exist. The effects of dust grain temperature, equilibrium dust charge, trapping parameter, and dust size on the properties of these solitary waves are briefly discussed. A neural network with a given architecture and learning process, and which may be useful to interpret experimental data, is outlined. Our investigation may be taken as a prerequisite for the understanding of the solitary dust waves that may occur in space as well as in laboratory plasmas.

Kinetic Alfvén waves are investigated in the presence of a general loss-cone distribution function including finite electron pressure and ion-gyroradius effects. The dispersion relation and damping/growth rate are evaluated for different electron to ion temperature ratios, Te/Ti, using a kinetic approach. The wave frequency ω and damping/growth rate γL are evaluated for two regimes of propagation, k⊥ρi < 1 and k⊥ρi > 1, where k⊥ is the perpendicular wave number and ρi is the ion-gyroradius. An enhancement of the wave frequency and a reduction in the damping rate are predicted by steep loss-cone distribution indices and Te/Ti. The growth of the wave is also noticed at higher values of the distribution index and lower Te/Ti. Plasma parameters appropriate to the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) are used to discuss the propagation of kinetic Alfvén waves from the PSBL to the auroral ionosphere.

In the present research paper, the characteristics of dust-acoustic solitary waves (DASWs) and double layers (DLs) are studied. Ions are treated as non-thermal and variable dust charge is considered. The Korteweg–de Vries equation is derived using a reductive perturbation method. It is noticed that compressive solitons are obtained up to a certain range of relative density δ (=ni0/ne0) beyond which rarefactive solitons are observed. The study is further extended to investigate the possibility of DLs. Only compressive DLs are permissible. Both DASWs and DLs are sensitive to variation of the non-thermal parameter.

We determine the growth rate of linear instabilities resulting from long-wavelength transverse perturbations applied to periodic nonlinear wave solutions to the Schamel–Korteweg–de Vries–Zakharov–Kuznetsov (SKdVZK) equation which governs weakly nonlinear waves in a strongly magnetized cold-ion plasma whose electron distribution is given by two Maxwellians at slightly different temperatures. To obtain the growth rate it is necessary to evaluate non-trivial integrals whose number is kept to a minimum by using recursion relations. It is shown that a key instance of one such relation cannot be used for classes of solution whose minimum value is zero, and an additional integral must be evaluated explicitly instead. The SKdVZK equation contains two nonlinear terms whose ratio b increases as the electron distribution becomes increasingly flat-topped. As b and hence the deviation from electron isothermality increases, it is found that for cnoidal wave solutions that travel faster than long-wavelength linear waves, there is a more pronounced variation of the growth rate with the angle θ at which the perturbation is applied. Solutions whose minimum values are zero and which travel slower than long-wavelength linear waves are found, at first order, to be stable to perpendicular perturbations and have a relatively narrow range of θ for which the first-order growth rate is not zero.

Alfvénic states of a plasma, where velocity and magnetic field coincide, form a particular simple class of ideal equilibria and are also found in certain astrophysical phenomena. While transient processes of alignment in turbulent plasmas are well known and due to preferential spectral transfer, the possible long-term evolution of a magnetohydrodynamic plasma towards an alfvénic state has been rarely studied. It is shown that this tendency does not exist: neither specific ideal alfvénic equilibria nor the whole set of such states attract trajectories in any functional sense. Another possibility is that the perturbations of a static equilibrium could tend to become alfvénic, such as the classical Alfvén waves. We find that if these equilibria are current free, when a perturbation approaches an alfvénic state it immediately bounces away from it.

A conducting source moving uniformly through a magnetized plasma generates, among a variety of perturbations, Alfvén waves. An interesting characteristic of Alfvén waves is that they can build up structures in the plasma called Alfvén wings. These wings have been detected and measured in many solar system bodies, and their existence has also been theoretically proven. However, their stability remains to be studied. The aim of this paper is to analyze the stability of an Alfvén wing developed in a uniform background field, in the presence of an incompressible perturbation that has the same symmetry as the Alfvén wing, in the magnetohydrodynamic approximation. The study of the stability of a magnetohydrodynamic system is often performed by linearizing the equations and using either the normal modes method or the energy method. In spite of being applicable for many problems, both methods become algebraically complicated if the structure under analysis is a highly non-uniform one. Palumbo has developed an analytical method for the study of the stability of static structures with a symmetry in magnetized plasmas, in the presence of incompressible perturbations with the same symmetry as the structure (Palumbo 1998 Thesis, Universidad de Firenze, Italia). In the present paper we extend this method for Alfvén wings that are stationary structures, and conclude that in the presence of this kind of perturbation they are stable.

The efficiency of whistler wave radiation by a density modulated and thin electron beam of finite length injected parallel with respect to the constant ambient magnetic field into a cylindrical plasma column surrounded by a uniform isotropic medium and aligned along the magnetic field is studied. A rigorous analytical derivation of the wave fields excited by the beam in the plasma column is presented. The time-averaged power radiated by the beam at the modulation frequency is determined. In particular, numerical calculations performed for physical conditions relevant to laboratory magnetized discharge plasmas show that, in the presence of a plasma column, the power lost by the modulated beam can be efficiently enhanced owing to resonant Cherenkov excitation of guided whistler modes at the beam modulation frequency.

The nonlinear theory of large-amplitude magnetosonic (MS) waves in highβ space plasmas is revisited. It is shown that solitary waves can exist in the form of ‘bright’ or ‘dark’ solitons in which the magnetic field is increased or decreased relative to the background magnetic field. This depends on the shape of the equilibrium ion distribution function. The basic parameter that controls the nonlinear structure is the wave dispersion, which can be either positive or negative. A general dispersion relation for MS waves propagating perpendicularly to the external magnetic field in a plasma with an arbitrary velocity distribution function is derived.It takes into account general plasma equilibria, such as the Dory–Guest–Harris (DGH) or Kennel–Ashour-Abdalla (KA) loss-cone equilibria, as well as distributions with a power-law velocity dependence that can be modelled by κdistributions. It is shown that in a bi-Maxwellian plasma the dispersion is negative, i.e. the phase velocity decreases with an increase of the wavenumber. This means that the solitary solution in this case has the form of a ‘bright’ soliton with the magnetic field increased. On the contrary, in some non-Maxwellian plasmas, such as those with ring-type ion distributions or DGH plasmas, the solitary solution may have the form of a magnetic hole. The results of similar investigations based on nonlinear Hall–MHD equations are reviewed. The relevance of our theoretical results to existing satellite wave observations is outlined.