Modulational instability of fast magnetosonic waves in a solar plasma

✍ Scribed by Jun-Ichi Sakai

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 419 KB
• Volume: 84
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0038-0938
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00157449

✦ Synopsis

Transverse amplitude modulations of fast magnetosonic waves propagating perpendicular to the background magnetic field are shown to be unstable on a time scale z-~ 211/V, ep, if the wave amplitude ~0 exceeds a critical value, tpc = Cs/V a. The slow modes generated by the modulational instability under gravity can propagate along the magnetic field with the characteristic velocity, Vph = g/2klr V, 4~. The applications of this modulational instability and slow-mode generation mechanism to a solar plasma are discussed.