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Oscillitons and gyrating ions in a beam‐plasma system
Author(s) -
Sauer K.,
Dubinin E.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl018266
Subject(s) - physics , atomic physics , plasma , beam (structure) , ion , ion beam , magnetic field , coupling (piping) , excitation , magnetohydrodynamics , population , angular momentum , momentum (technical analysis) , soliton , nonlinear system , optics , classical mechanics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , materials science , demography , finance , sociology , economics , metallurgy
The resonant excitation of right‐hand polarized waves by an ion beam propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field is a well‐known effect of linear dispersion theory. In this paper, stationary nonlinear structures in such a beam‐plasma system are studied on the basis of Hall‐MHD description. Soliton‐like structures with superimposed spatial oscillations have been found which arise from the momentum coupling between the main plasma population and the beam ions via the LF electromagnetic field. They have similar signatures as the recently described oscillitons of linearly stable two‐ion plasmas [ Sauer et al. , 2001] where effective momentum coupling may happen in the vicinity of their cross‐over frequencies. Our message is that gyrophase‐bunched ions seen upstream of the Earth's bow shock in association with ULF wave packets may find an explanation by oscillitons in a beam‐plasma system.