Modulational instability and envelope-solitons for nonlinear Alfven waves propagating along the magnetic field in plasmas

The modulational instability and envelope-solitons are analyzed for the Alfven waves propagating along the static magnetic field in cold collisionless plasmas, using the modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation previously derived by the authors. The modulational instability occurs in the left-hand circularly polarized Alfven wave (left Alfven wave) for a small amplitude but does not for an amplitude larger than the critical value. On the other hand, the instability never occurs in the right-hand circularly polarized Alfven wave (right Alfven wave). When the modulational instability does not occur, the rarefactive and compressive envelope-solitons exist in the left Alfven wave and the two types of the rarefactive envelope-solitons exist in the right Alfven wave. (auth.)