The Influence of Plasma Inhomogeneity and Incident Wave Frequency on the Nonlinear Spatial Absorption of Alphven Waves In Dissipative Plasma

We consider the nonlinear absorption of an Alfven wave falling on the boundary of incompressible plasma occupying a half-space. This absorption is due to dissipative effects of such factors as magnetic and hydrodynamic viscosities, thermal conductivities of electrons and ions, bremsstrahlung of electrons, temperature relaxation. We examine the dependence of the absorption on the spatial inhomogeneity of plasma density and the frequency of the incident Alfven wave. It is shown that the parameters of an Alfven wave penetrating dissipative plasma stabilize in time and satisfy a certain boundary value problem for a system of ordinary differential equations on a half-line. A numerical solution of this boundary value problem allows us to find some important relationships characterizing the absorption of Alfven waves. (paper)