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The transformation of MHD Alfvén waves in space plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2004

V. N. FEDUN
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy and Space Plasma Physics, Taras Shevchenko National University, 03022 Kyiv, Ukraine (fedun@mao.kiev.ua)
A. K. YUKHIMUK
Affiliation:
Main Astronomical Observatory, NAS of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
A. D. VOITSEKHOVSKAYA
Affiliation:
Main Astronomical Observatory, NAS of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The nonlinear mechanism of the transformation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Alfvén waves to kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) in the homogeneous magnetized plasma with small plasma parameter $\beta\,{\ll}\,1$ is investigated. As the generation mechanism, the parametric instability where the MHD Alfvén wave is the pumping wave is considered. On the basis of the two-fluid MHD and Vlasov equation, the nonlinear dispersion relation describing three-waves interaction, the instability growth rate and the threshold of the instability are found. The theoretical results are used for the interpretation of plasma heating in the solar corona.

Type
Papers
Copyright
2004 Cambridge University Press

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