Published January 2005 | Version v1
Journal article

Envelope solitons associated with electromagnetic waves in a magnetized pair plasma

  • 1. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik IV, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Astronomie, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)
  • 2. Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Gent (Belgium)

Description

The amplitude modulation of magnetic field-aligned circularly polarized electromagnetic (CPEM) waves in a magnetized pair plasma is reexamined. The nonlinear frequency shifts include the effects of the radiation pressure driven density and compressional magnetic field perturbations as well as relativistic particle mass variations. The dynamics of the modulated CPEM wave packets is governed by a nonlinear Schroedinger equation, which has attractive and repulsive interaction potentials for fast and slow CPEM waves. The modulational stability of a constant amplitude CPEM wave is studied by deriving a nonlinear dispersion from the cubic Schroedinger equation. The fast (slow) CPEM mode is modulationally unstable (stable). Possible stationary amplitude solutions of the modulated fast (slow) CPEM mode can be represented in the form of bright and dark/gray envelope electromagnetic soliton structures. Localized envelope excitations can be associated with the microstructures in pulsar magnetospheres and in laboratory pair magnetoplasmas

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physics of Plasmas
Journal Volume
12
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
p. 012319-012319.6
ISSN
1070-664X
CODEN
PHPAEN

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2005 American Institute of Physics