Journal article
Nonlinear astrophysical Alfvén waves: onset and outcome of the modulational instability
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.299(1), pp.122-137
1985
DOI: 10.1086/163686
Abstract
A numerical study has been made of the nonlinear development of Alfvén waves, with application to Alfvén waves in astrophysical plasmas. The waves are modeled by the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation. This paper studies the evolution of initial conditions consisting of (1) amplitude-modulated wave packets and (2) broad-band Alfvénic noise. Dependent on the polarization of the Alfvén wave, a strong modulational collapse instability results in which a wave packet becomes more intense and of smaller spatial extent. The intensification of the wave packet is halted by the formation of solitons, so the asymptotic state of the instability consists of propagating soliton-like pulses. The author discusses application to several astrophysical settings, such as Earth's bow shock region, the interstellar medium adjacent to a supernova remnant, and extragalactic radio sources.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Nonlinear astrophysical Alfvén waves: onset and outcome of the modulational instability
- Creators
- S. R Spangler - Univ. Iowa, dep. physics astronomy
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.299(1), pp.122-137
- DOI
- 10.1086/163686
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 1985
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199679602771
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