Double layers, spiky solitary waves, and explosive modes of relativistic ion

acoustic waves propagating in a plasma

Yasunori Nejoh

Citation: Physics of Fluids B: Plasma Physics (1989-1993) 4, 2830 (1992); doi: 10.1063/1.860157
View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.860157
View Table of Contents: http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/pofb/4/9?ver=pdfcov
Published by the AIP Publishing

Articles you may be interested in
Large amplitude ion-acoustic solitary waves and double layers in multicomponent plasma with positrons
Phys. Plasmas 16, 072307 (2009); 10.1063/1.3175693

Ion-acoustic solitary waves in a relativistic plasma
Phys. Plasmas 14, 022307 (2007); 10.1063/1.2536581

Evolution of nonlinear ion-acoustic solitary wave propagation in rotating plasma
Phys. Plasmas 13, 082303 (2006); 10.1063/1.2245578

Ionacoustic solitary waves in relativistic plasmas
Phys. Fluids 30, 2582 (1987); 10.1063/1.866098

Ionacoustic solitary waves in relativistic plasmas
Phys. Fluids 28, 823 (1985); 10.1063/1.865050

This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
Double layers, spiky solitary waves, and explosive modes of relativistic
ion-acoustic waves propagating in a plasma
Yasunori Nejoh
Department of Physics, Hachinohe institute of Technology, 88-I, Obiraki, Myo, Hachinohe, 031, Japan
(Received 29 April 1991; accepted 6 May 1992)
The fully relativistic ion fluid equations are presented. These equations are reduced to a
mixed modified Korteweg-de Vries (MKdV) equation by using the reductive perturbation
method. The high-speed streaming ions and the negative cubic nonlinearity of the
mixed MKdV equation give rise to the new nonlinear wave modes, that is, the compressive
double layer, the spiky solitary wave, and the explosive solutions. The double layer
and the spiky solitary wave are confined within the specified positive potential region, while
the explosive solutions are confined within the region where the potential exceeds the
maximum potential or the negative potential region. It is shown for the first time that the
double-layer thickness narrows as the ion temperature and the relativistic effects
increase, that the potential drop of the double layer grows as the ion temperature increases,
and that the amplitudes of the spiky solitary wave and the explosive solution grow as
the ion temperature effect increases. This investigation relates to the evolution process of the
nonlinear wave structure in which these three modes form the fine structure in space.
1. INTRODUCTION
In a historical current of nonlinear wave studies on
plasmas, double layers and solitary waves have been draw-
ing the attention of many investigators. Electric double
layers in plasmas have been extensively investigated in
theories,-2 the aurora1 zone,34 and laboratory
experiments concerning the mechanism of particle accel-
eration. In nonlinear wave studies the propagation of sol-
itary waves is also important as it describes the character-
istics of the interaction between the waves and the plasmas.
In the case where the velocity of particles is much smaller
than that of light, ion-acoustic waves exhibit nonrelativistic
behavior, but in the case where the velocity of particles
approaches that of light, relativistic effects become domi-
nant. Various kinds of nonlinear waves occur in relativistic
plasmas and thus relativistic Langmuir and electromag-
netic waves have been studied as subjects of laser-plasma
interaction7 and space plasma phenomena. Interplanetary
space and the Earths magnetosphere encompass a rich
variety of plasma physical processes and nonlinear wave
phenomena.
High-speed and energetic streaming ions with the en-
ergies from 0.1 to 100 MeV are frequently observed in the
solar atmosphere and interplanetary space. Yet, relativistic
ion-acoustic waves have not been thoroughly investigated.
When we assume that the ion energy depends only on the
kinetic energy, such plasma ions have to attain relativistic
speeds. Thus, by considering relativistic effects where the
ion velocity is about O.lc, we can describe the relativistic
motion of such ions in the study of nonlinear plasma
waves. Since the ion temperature is very high in solar
flare? solar wind, and interplanetary space,i the ratio of
the ion temperature and the electron temperature is some-
times more than 1. In this situation, relativistic and ion
temperature effects are important for energetic ion-acoustic
waves propagating in interplanetary space.
It has been suggested that relativistic double layers
may occur in cosmic and space plasmas, and that they
form the large amplitude electric field and accelerate
plasma particles. I2 However, little attention has been given
to relativistic ion-acoustic double layers associated with the
plasma dynamics under the fluid description. We have
found weakly relativistic ion-acoustic double layersI for
cold ions in the vicinity of the critical point where the
nonlinear coefficient of the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV)
equation is negligibly small. The effect of a finite ion tem-
perature on relativistic double layers has not yet been well
investigated. On the other hand, relativistic ion-acoustic
solitary waves have been found by the KdV equationt3
Interesting features such as the formation of the precursor
of the ion-acoustic solitary waves, the long wavelength ion
oscillation modes,l and the association between relativistic
ion modulation modest4 are discussed as astrophysical phe-
nomena. We show a new spiky solitary waves and an ex-
plosive mode of ion-acoustic waves obliquely propagating
in a magnetized plasma,15 and also find a new modulation-
ally unstable ion-acoustic wave in a relativistic plasma.6
Although the relativistic ion-acoustic solitary waves in a
space plasma are basically described by the nonlinear evo-
lution equation, the effect of the ion temperature is an
indispensable factor for ion-acoustic waves in interplane-
tary space.
It is recognized in the recent astrophysical observa-
tions that the fine structure of the physical quantities such
as the potential, the electric field, the magnetic flux density,
etc., is important in order to understand the properties of
space plasmas. The fine structure is composed of double
layers and spiky solitary waves. We present a new point of
2830 Phys. Fluids B 4 (9), September 1992 0899-8213/92/092830-l 1$04.00 @ 1992 American Institute of Physics 2830
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
view with respect to double layers and spiky solitary waves
later in this paper.
The object of this paper is to show the formation of
relativistic double layers, new spiky solitary waves, and
explosive solutions in an unmagnetized space plasma with
hot ions by considering the fully relativistic ion fluid equa-
tions. In this paper, it is expected that, by considering the
ion temperature and the relativistic effects, compressive
type double layers, spiky solitary waves, and explosive so-
lutions will be obtained from a mixed modified KdV
(MKdV) equation which includes the quadratic and the
negative cubic nonlinearity. The double layers inform us of
the reason why energetic ions are accelerated during the
propagation in interplanetary space. The spiky solitary
wave is closely related to energetic precursor events in
space,3p4 and the occurrence of these solitary waves are
associated with the disruption of the double layer. The
explosive solution explains the explosive events such as the
ejection of solar energetic particles.
the longitudinal ion-acoustic wave propagates parallel to
the electric field, we observe the electrostatic ion-acoustic
wave in a relativistic plasma. We assume that the ion flow
velocity is relativistic, and thereby there exist only high-
speed streaming ions in an equilibrium state when longitu-
dinal ion-acoustic waves propagate in one dimension.
The basic equations are described by the fully relativ-
istic ion fluid equations for the conservation law of the
mass, the momentum equation, and the energy equation
for the adiabatic ions. For longitudinal waves, the dynam-
ics of the relativistic ion fluid in nondimensional form are
written as
-g(,,+&
The layout of this paper is as follows. In Sec. II, we
derive the MKdV equation at the critical point where the
nonlinear term of the KdV equation does not contribute to
forming the solitary wave. In addition, we derive a mixed
MKdV equation from the basic equations associated with
the fluid description of a relativistic plasma with a finite ion
temperature. Section III is divided into two parts. We de-
rive relativistic double layers and explosive solutions in
Sec. III A and show relativistic spiky solitary waves and
explosive solutions in Sec. III B. Dependency of double
layers and solitary waves on both the ion temperature and
the relativistic effects is illustrated. We derive the relativ-
istic oscillatory wave solution in the small wave-number
region in Sec. IV. The last section (Sec. V) is devoted to
the concluding discussion.
(&+u~)P+3lJP(~+gJ~) u=o,
where the Lorentz factor is y=[l- (u/c)~]-~. The sys-
tem of equations is closed with the help of the Poissons
equation,
II. DERIVATION OF A MIXED MKdV EQUATION with
We consider small but finite-amplitude ion-acoustic
waves propagating in a collisionless relativistic unmagne-
tized plasma. The dimensions of the system are much
larger than the electron Debye length, and the plasma is
quasineutral. Since the electron inertia and the electron
trapping phenomena are neglected for low-frequency oscil-
lations of ion-acoustic waves, the electron velocity is can-
celed with the help of the Poissons equation; the motions
of electrons can be ignored. The fluid description used in
this study can be justified by the fact that we are interested
in the macroscopic, average nonlinear behavior of the rel-
ativistic plasma rather than the microscopic properties;
that is, the motion of individual particles. This justification
can be further supported by space and time scales involved
in this nonlinear problem. It is assumed that the velocity
distribution of each species is Maxwellian everywhere and
the relativistic plasma is composed of a mixed fluid with
hot and isothermal electrons and hot ion species. To sim-
plify the discussion we do not take into account kinetic
effects such as the deviation from the Maxwellian distribu-
tion, Landau damping, etc. Since we consider the low-
frequency motion of the ion-acoustic wave and assume that
The right-hand side of y is approximated by its expansion
up to the second term; n, v, p, 4, n,, and c denote the
proper ion density, the ion flow velocity, the pressure, the
electrostatic potential, the electron density, and the veloc-
ity of light, respectively. The densities are normalized by
the unperturbed background electron density no, velocities
by the sound velocity (KTJM) 2, where M is the ion
mass; p and 4 by n&T, and KTJe; the time t and
the distance x by the ion plasma frequency
up; = ( e&/noe2) l* and the electron Debye length
&, = ( qcTJq,e2> *, respectively. The parameter CY is the
ratio of the positive ion temperature Ti to the electron
temperature To that is, T/T,.
In order to solve Eqs. (la)4 le), we use the reductive
perturbation method. We expand the dependent physical
quantities n, u, p, 4, and n, around the unperturbed uni-
form state as power series in terms of the small parameter
e:
2831 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992
ynv) =o,
(la)
(lb)
(ICI
(IdI
(le)
Yasunori Nejoh 2831
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
m m
n=l+ 2 &, u=uo+ C dvl,
I=1 I= 1
m m
s=s-VQ,
yQ = I+ l&/2&
yI = 1 + 3@2&
y2 = 3~~22,
7/3 = vQc4.
p=l+ c 4% 4=0+ c E&,
(2)
I=1 I=1
m
ne= 1+ C En,.
I=1
If we expand the frequency o in a power series around
the wave number k=O, the phase factor of the plane wave
depends on the small displacement of the wave number Ak.
When we take Ak- O( e*), we introduce the stretching
coordinates
&=P(x--St),
P== e3/*t,
(3)
where E measures the weakness of dispersion and s refers to
the phase velocity, respectively.
We substitute Eqs. (2) and (3) into Eqs. (la)-( le).
To the lowest order of E, we obtain
#1=n1=
01
YQwY* -tY*s)
PI
=3Yo(l -b/*s-Y3SMY&y*d
(4)
and
-ioyI~Z+-
3oyo
Y1- SY2S Y1- 52s
(
I-;y*s-y3s fl=O,
)
where
The solution of the quadratic equation for S is
s-,y2*
YI + 3QYo
( 3ayoy3s + 3y2d
Yl YOYI -
+ cr22
YOYl
( 1
Yi *
(5)
When we take the positive sign of Eq. (5), the phase
velocity is obtained as
s=uo+
J
Yl+ 3cyo
YQYI
-;(l+vOJzJ 3cycy$yLo ;.
(6)
We used the approximations
&-O(vQc4) zo,
Y*Y3-WW)~oo, y$-0(&2)~0, y;-o(vg/c6)~0,
Yz?$-O(~~C~)~O, and (yzy3)2-O(~~~12)~o.
To the second order of E, we have the KdV equation
a#1 d~F~O~??~~2?~4)
x+ N
with
(7)
dw0,yby,,y4)=~+~ (--$$-)2+k (I-----&) (l--f$$+& (*-~s)2-Y2S (ss)
+,ff( 2-$2Y$) ( +SS+(Yz-sYb) (y,:;zS)I?
(8)
and
1 1
N=-
Y1- iY2s
YoYIs+~ M+qoY*
.
(9)
Here we note that the coefficient a( cr,yo,y1,yz,y4) is
positive-whatever the values the ion temperature and the
relativistic effects may take.
In order to take into account the higher-order nonlin-
earity, we assume that the displacement of the wave num-
ber Ak of the plane wave is of the order of E, that is,
2832 Phys. Fluids 6, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992
I
Ak - 0( e ) . We hence use the following modified stretching
coordinates:
f;=e(x-st),
(10)
7=e3t.
Substituting Eqs. (2) and (10) into Eqs. (la)-( le), we
have reduced Eqs. (4) to the lowest order in E.
To the next order in E, we have
(Ila)
Yasunori Nejoh 2832
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
v2=-
y,:;2s+$& (;+(-) (yl:~2s~2)~~9
(lib)
3Yo( l-iY2S-YP)
I
%o( 1 -&#-Y3d
P2= $2+ -
(
1+2(y2-y4s)
Yl -iY*s Y1-3YzS
(y,:;2s~2)+3( l-jyls-y+)(&)
(
~YO( 1 --~YzS-Y~S) *
+
) +2,( 2-~-2y2s) (&)I ;ot (llc)
Y1 -?Y*s
and
adI
Wwww24f4M z=O. (12)
To the next higher order in E, we can eliminate n3, v3, and &$,/a( by Eq. (5) and have
YI($I) +~2(~~,~2,n2,~2,p2)=0, (13)
where
vs
~I(#,) =
Yl -ti*s
I
Y~YI~+;Y~+%Yo(~+$)]~+,(-;+~+~~Y~-~Y~~(~)~
3YS
+
(YrsY*s)*
(
Y2-sY4+
53+(,,~;2s~2 [Y*(+Y*s)( -I+$3
YOS
II
2 ah a%
+3oy4(1--2y*s) -
hyg+/osjp
Yl -+Y*s
i
a
3~0(1-3Y+Y3y3s)
ah
1 I
2
~2W742,n29u21P2
2(?z-s?&&
1 =yoS g Wln2) -
Y1 -+Y*s
n*jg + yl-ps+ y*z)/s
(Ys)* w4Y2S
i )I
36% 1 -?Y*S-Y34
& (Au*) +
i
ah
+(y1-2y*S) ___ -
2-$-2y*s
Yr~*~+Y*-~W
v2 -Fig-
Yl -;r*s
.,( I-&-Yjr)d+=%j +$--)# i$+,dl--~;;y)sPz~
a
-YS g (h#2)7
where y4= (Zc*)-.
When we substitute Eqs. (4), (6), and (lla)-( llc) into Eq. (13), Eq. (13) is reduced to the MKdV equation
@I fl(6YO,Y,,YZ,Y4) 2 a+l 1 a%
ar+
4, pzlyqT=Q (14)
2N
where
f%~,yO,y,,~2,~4~ = -2+5 _
~-(*)2-qi-2~)-~+[~-4&+(&)i
+~(5-~)+zbi~s-~(5-~+~)(~s)2+~(~)3
2833 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992 Yasunori Nejoh 2833
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
+2[ Y20Y0(2-$2Y2S)-(Y2-sY+)( -l+$.)] [ _I+-&+& (-l+S$
-6[ WYo( +%) +?Mj (;+;-r) ,,,( -s+s-zs
Yii$
+2a( 1-2Yz.s) -
Yr512S *
)I
It is noticed that the nonlinear coefficient
/3( a,Y0,Y,,y2,y4) of the MKdV equation is always negative
whatever the values the ion temperature and the relativistic
effects may take. Nonlinear waves in the region of
/3(o,Yo,Y,,y2,Y4) < 0 have not yet been considered. Thus the
author will discuss relativistic ion-acoustic waves propa-
gating in this region.
In order to take higher-order nonlinear effects into ac-
count, we derive a mixed MKdV equation with quadratic
and negative cubic nonlinearity. Combining Eqs. ( 1 la)-
( 1 lc) and ( 12), we convert the momentum equation ( lb)
to
(15)
Assuming that the order of cr(a,Yo,yl,y2,y4)-O(E), the
order of the right-hand side of Eq. ( 15) becomes 0(e4)
and is zero in 0(e3). In this situation, the term
cr(~,Yo,Yl,Y2,y4)461(d~,/d~) has to be included in the next
higher-order equation of momentum. In these circum-
stances, Eq. (lb) is reduced to
-Yts~+oap3+~+(Y,-2Y2s) d (v,q)
a{ 3 ai-
(
ap2 ai- au1
-0 n1-tnz-
x. a6
)
au1
+y,a7f2y,v:-
x
a a
au2
-y$s-g (v*)3+m2~-yIs-+~~+~
* at ag a6i 4s
Yl
+ T-Y2S a6
( )
2 (v*)2-
apI
ml7g=O. (16)
Eliminating third-order terms u3, p3, QIs, and second-order
terms v2, p2, $z, by using Eqs. (4) and (lla)-( 1 lc) and
normalizing r by N, we obtain a mixed MKdV equation
from Eq. (16),
I
(17)
where #=&. We abbreviate a(a,Yo,yl,yz,Y4) and
P(a,y~,yt,Yz,y~) to a and P, respectively.
III. STATIONARY SOLUTIONS OF EQ. (I?)
In this section, we present a relativistic double layer, a
new spiky solitary wave, and an explosive solution associ-
ated with the mixed MKdV equation derived in the pre-
ceding section. We introduce a variable q=c----UT in a sta-
tionary frame, where u is a constant velocity. Inserting 7
into Eq, (17) and integrating it twice, we obtain
and
+Y(a,P,w$) =O (18)
(19)
under the boundary conditions (p, &$/a$ -+ 0 at 177 I--* CO,
when n=l and 2. Equation (18) with Eq. (19) can be
regarded as an equation of motion of a particle with unit
mass under the potential function \I/ (a,p,u,$) ( (O), or as
an equation of an anharmonic oscillator provided that we
interpret q and # as time and space coordinates, respec-
tively.
A. Relativistic double layers and explosive solutions
We consider, in this section, that Y (cr,~,u,~) has two
double roots, In order to obtain solutions of Eq. ( 18) with
Eq. (19), we transform Eq. (19) to
~(#,cb,) =W6)~2W-4,)2, (20)
where
A&,8) = -2a/rJ (214
and
u= - (/3/12)&(cr,p) = -a2/3/3. @lb)
fasunori Nejoh 2834 2834 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
FIG. 1. The profile of the relativistic compressive double layer repre-
sented by Eq. (23) with u,,/c=O.2 as a function of 7, for the ion temper-
ature ratio ~7=0.02 and 0.04, marked on each curve.
6oc
OO
I I I I
0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.c
ff
FIG. 2. Dependency of the potential drop Ac$ of the double layer on the
ion temperature ratio a, for the relativistic effect ve/c=0.2.
2835 Phys. Fluids 6, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992
Here, 0, denotes the maximum potential.
For the formation of double layers, the potential must
behave in the following manner:
Y(a,P,u,4) -0 at ~-4 d~Aa,Lk GW
d~(dXw$)
4
4 at +$m(atP>,
d2Y(a,P,4)
d#2
-0 at $,(cr,/3)-0.
(22b)
(22c)
Integrating Eq. ( 18) with Eq. (20), we give
1 El (q--rlo) = J Qc~~4,j=~lnl~l-
We have a solution
C(a,R,?;4,)=1Bl(a.B)[ l-tanh(ll ei
X4,(a,P)(17--rlo) t
)I
(23)
for
0 < $(a,P,q;hJ < dAa,P).
Since (l/2) I( --p/6)12 1 +m(a,/3) has to be real in Eq.
(23)) it is required that p < 0. The condition p < 0 satisfies
Eq. (21a) because tl > 0. These results are not inconsistent
with the assumptions. We therefore regard Eq. (23) as a
compressive type of relativistic double layer. The double
layer is illustrated in Fig. 1. The dependency of the poten-
25
F
I 1 I
0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 c
u
16
FIG. 3. The double-layer thickness as a function of the ion temperature
ratio a, for the relativistic effect u,,/c=O.2.
Yasunori Nejoh 2835
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
6
5
it
I------
f
FIG. 4. The profile of the explosive solution (24) with u,,/c=O.2 as a
function of 71, for the ion temperature ratio 0=0.02 and 0.04, marked on
each curve.
tial drop A+ on the ion temperature ratio ~7 is shown in Fig.
2. We also show the double-layer thickness L in Fig. 3.
For the condition
~(MbphJ > AA@) or
Cp(cr,P,rl;&J ~0, we obtain, from Eq. (18) with Eq. (19),
Equation (24) implies that the potential infinitely grows at
7j-rrno, and thereby we regard JSq. (24) as an explosive
solution. We show the profile of Eq. (24) in Fig. 4.
B. Relativistic spiky solitary waves and explosive
solutions
We consider the case where Y (c@,u,~) has one dou-
ble root as shown in Fig. 5. Then Y (a&,4) of Eq. ( 18)
requires
~(Q,w$) = WW2W-d,H~-bd,
with
(25)
~o,b(a,~,J,u)=(2/P)(-a* &5m, (26)
where (b, and & correspond to the positive and negative
sign of the right-hand side of Eq. (26)) respectively. Here,
when we put u = - a2/4@ > 0, +a and I$~ take the form of
Q1,= -a@>O, Wd
FIG. 5. The profile of the potential function P (a,&&) of Eq. (25) in
the case where V(a,&u,+) has one double root.
&=-3a/&O,
(2717)
provided that 4, < &.
Thus one expects that Eq. ( 18) with Eq (25) has the
following solution:
0 < Q, < &: solitary wave solutions,
(p CO: explosive type of solutions,
because Y ( CZ,&Q#B) GO. These cases are interesting.
We integrate Eq. ( 18) with Eq. (25) as
Equation (18) with Eq. (25) has a solution
I
$08f . ..^ . . .._.._..-. _-_ ___I
07
06
05
:
\s
04
03i
0.2
1 ~
i b
?-- ?a
FIG. 6. The profile of the relativistic spiky solitary wave represented by
Eq. (301, in the case where vdc=O.Z, u=O.O3 and 4,=0.75.
2836 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992 Yasunori Nejoh 2836
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
I J-l
a $ (q-q,)=.d(a,P;q$,J -arctanh
for
and
for
where
d(a,B;&J =arctanh[ & (4,- Js)],
and
~(a,B;B,)=a~~~o~h[g& (&-~~~)],
respectively. Here 4, denotes the peak amplitude of the potential.
From Eqs. (28) and (29), we obtain
3o sech2td(a,P;&J - la J-17281 (rl-rldl
~(a,8,~m)=-p1+\/3tanh[~(ap~ )-]~~3-1/2/?](~-77~)]
J J m
for
and
3a cosech2t~(a,P;~,)+Ia~~I(rl--o)]
4(a,B,h)=~ l+ticoth[B(a,@+ )+]a\l-1/2fi](~-~o)] J m
for
Im-Jzpzgq>y.
(28)
(29)
(30)
(31)
Equations (30) and (3 1) are a spiky solitary wave solution
and an explosive type of solution, respectively. When
ue/c=0.2 and 0=0.03, the maximum potential 4, is 0.75.
In this case, we illustrate the spiky solitary wave in Fig. 6,
and the dependency of the amplitude of the solitary wave
on the ion temperature effect for vc/c=0.2 in Fig. 7. We
show the explosive solution in Fig. 8, by using the same
parameter.
IV. RELATIVISTIC ION-ACOUSTIC OSCILLATION
MODES IN A SMALL WAVE-NUMBER REGION
rl=p(C--p7),
(334
g=p27,
(33b)
where p is the small expanding parameter; S and p are
determined later.
We seek the relativistic ion-acoustic oscillation modes
To the first order in p, we obtain the dispersion rela-
of the mixed MKdV equation (17) in the small wave-
tion
2837 Phys. Fluids l3, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992
I
number region. We apply the expansion
$= f, pn ,=fj ~!*(I1,S)exp[il(k~--S7)1,
co
(32)
and the variable transformation
Yasunori Nejoh 2837
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
FIG. 7. Dependency of the amplitude (b,,, of the spiky solitary wave on the
ion temperature ratio B for the relativistic effect u,,/c=O.2.
ij= +,
for components with I= f 1 and have
~j=o,
for Ilffl.
To the second order in cr. the terms I= I1 require
p= -Sk2
J
and the term I= 2 requires
?O-
60-
50-
-s 40-
30-
20-
FIG. 8. The profile of the explosive solution represented by Eq. ( 3 1) , in
the case where v,Jc=O.2, u=O.O3, and (p,=O.lS.
#= (a/3k2)($:)2.
To the third order in p the term l=O requires
(g2 =
-(2a/3k21(I#j)/-Cl,
where C is an integration constant independent of q. Fi-
nally, to the third order in p the term I= 1 implies the
nonlinear Schriidinger equation,
dfp 3 a2#)
iT--zkF+
-$ a2c#)=o,
(34)
where the last term of the left-hand side of Eq. (34) van-
ishes by the appropriate variable transformation. If /3 < 0,
then the modulationally stable relativistic ion-acoustic
wave can propagate in the small wave-number region,
The oscillatory wave solution is obtained as
q&(x,0 =#I p 1 [X-(S-~)+u2~~
Xexp[i[kx-k(s--&k)t]}, (35)
where the ordering parameter E associated with the wave
number k is taken to be 1. The phase velocity s is defined
by Eq. (6). The frequency part in the phase factor of Eq.
(35) agrees precisely with the dispersion relation
ti=k[ uo+ Jy:,:e-f (l+~a~~c)
3WoY3 -+- iY2
X
-$2
YOYI Yl
1 1
--
2 E'YoYISS-~~ioYon(1+v~c2)l/(y,--fy2s)
k2 ,
I
of this system in the small wave-number region. Hence, Eq.
(35) properly expresses the relativistic ion oscillation
mode in this system.
V. DISCUSSION
We have derived the mixed MKdV equation associated
with the fluid model and have shown the new nonlinear
wave modes, that is, the relativistic double layer, the spiky
solitary wave, and the explosive solutions. It should be
emphasized that, only in the case of fi ~0, the MKdV
equation gives rise to the double layer, the spiky solitary
wave, and the explosive solutions. We note that the qua-
dratic nonlinear coefficient a of the mixed MKdV equation
is positive,
We have derived, in Sec. III A, the relativistic com-
pressive double layer and the explosive solution. We have
shown the characteristic feature that the amplitude of the
double layer grows as the relativistic effect and the ion
2838 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992 Yasunori Nejoh 2838
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
temperature effect increase, and its thickness narrows as
both the effects increase. Moreover the potential drop of
the double layer grows as the ion temperature increases.
These features are shown for the first time for the relativ-
istic double layer. The double layer is confined within the
specified region of the positive potential, that is, 0 < 4 < 4,
and does not exist in the region of 4 > 4, in Eq. (20). On
the other hand, the explosive solution associated with the
double layer is confined within the region of 4 > 4, and the
region of 0 > 4. As a result of this, we can understand the
physical process that both the double layer and the explo-
sive mode complementarily generate and disappear.
The relativistic spiky solitary wave is confined within
the region of 0 < C# < &,, in Fig. 6 of the Sec. III B, while the
explosive mode associated with this solitary wave exists
within the region of 0 > 4. It is clarified that the amplitudes
of the spiky solitary wave and the explosive mode grow as
the ion temperature effect increases. Both modes also exist
complementarily: if the spiky solitary wave exists, the ex-
plosive mode disappears. On the contrary, when the explo-
sive mode exists, the spiky solitary wave disappears. This is
proved by the boundary condition concerning the existence
of both the modes.
Many investigators have considered1.7*18 that double
layers damp and finally disappear when the bell-shaped
solitary wave of the MKdV equation forms. As is seen in
space observations and computer simulations, however,
most of the solitary waves which contribute to the gener-
ation and the disappearance of double layers are not bell
shaped but spiky shaped. We think that the formation of
the double layer is essentially associated with strong non-
linearity and is a nonlinear wave mode in the system gov-
erned by the higher-order nonlinearity and dispersiveness.
Hence, the solitary waves that contribute to the generation
and the disappearance between the solitary wave and the
double layer need to be spiky shaped and need to possess
the same order of nonlinearity as the order of nonlinearity
of the double layer. We should identify the order of the
nonlinearity of the present spiky solitary wave with that of
the double layer. In addition, since the spiky solitary wave
takes away the energy of the double layer, the solitary wave
takes the place of the double layer. For this reason, the
double layer which occurs in space disappears when the
spiky solitary wave forms. Thus these two modes occur
and disappear.
Explosive (bursting) phenomena have been discussed
as the releasing phenomenon of the energy of the magnetic
field by the circuit model for the local system in space,20
and investigated as a phenomenon which occurs by the
compression associated with ion beams for space particle
systems.2 In such models, however, they can hardly dis-
cuss the energetic nonlinear wave modes and cannot apply
them to the actual situations. We present the new explosive
modes associated with the relativistic effect by the fluid
model. In Ref. 22, Ostriker ef al. treated nonrelativistic
explosive waves and did not at all consider energetic phe-
nomena concerning higher-order nonlinear waves. Za-
kharov derived the solitary wave and the explosive mode
with regard to the collapse of Langmuir waves.23 Its explo-
sive mode is associated with the negative potential. Al-
though the results of the present solitary wave and the
explosive mode cannot be compared directly with those of
Ref. 23 because we consider the relativistic ion-acoustic
wave, it is very interesting in that the present explosive
mode is analogous to the explosive mode of Ref. 23.
Three kinds of nonlinear wave modes presented here
have been independently studied and several examples for
each mode have been reported in space observations.4920
Among these studies, the fine structure composed of spiky
solitary waves and double layers is observed by satellites
traveling in interplanetary space and it attracts the atten-
tion of many researchers.228 Since the particle energy
range in these papers lies in a comparatively low energy
range, we suppose that energetic explosive events such as
bursts have not been detected. Recently, the existence of
ion beams, such as the streaming ion flux, is worthy of
notice as a condition of the formation of spiky solitary
waves and double layers.25*26 This is an idea associated
with the thought that the high-speed streaming ions form
solitary waves and double layers. The present investigation
is associated with the point of view that not only spiky
solitary waves and double layers but also explosive events
are generated by the high-speed streaming ions.
Very little is known about the papers referring to the
relation between the nonlinear wave modes and to their
generation and disappearance processes. Furthermore,
there are hardly any papers that have investigated the gen-
eration and the evolution of the nonlinear wave modes
associated with the nonlinear wave structure. Under these
circumstances, this investigation presents the peculiar fea-
ture concerning the evolution process of the nonlinear
wave structure in which the relativistic double layer, the
spiky solitary wave, and the explosive modes form the fine
structure by complementarily generating and disappearing
in space.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank Professor H. Tagashira
of Hokkaido University and Professor H. Sanuki of the
National Institute for Fusion Science for their valuable
suggestions. The author also thanks the referees for helpful
comments.
S. Torven, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 1053 (1981).
H. Schamel and S. Bujarbarua, Phys. Fluids 26, 190 ( 1983).
3J. S. Wagner, T. Tajima, J. R. Kan, J.-N. Leboeuf, S.-I. Akasofu, and J.
Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 803 (1980).
M. Temerin, K. Cemy, W. Lotko, and S. F. Moser, Phys. Rev. Lett. 48,
1176 (1982).
S. Torven, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 15, 1943 (1982).
6N. Sato, M. Nakamura, and R. Hatakeyama, Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 1227
(1986).
P. K. Shukla, M. Y. Yu, and N. L. Tsintsade, Phys. Fluids 27, 327
(1984).
5. Arons, Space Sci. Rev. 24, 417 (1979).
9D. F. Smith and S. H. Brecht, J. Geophys. Res. 90, 205 (1985).
OR. P. Lin, W. K. Levedahl, D. A. Gurnett, and F. L. Scarf, Astrophys.
J. 308, 954 (1986).
L R Lyons and D. J. Williams, in Quantitative Aspects of Magneto- . .
spheric Physics (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1984), Chaps. 2 and 5.
Y. Nejoh, Phys. Lett. A 123, 245 (1987).
2839 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992 Vasunori Nejoh 2839
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to IP:
103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08
13Y, Nejoh, J. Plasma Phys. 37, 487 (1987).
t4Y. Neioh, Phys. Fluids 31, 2914 (1988).
J. Ostriker and C. F. McKee, Rev. Mod. Phys. 60, 1 (1988).
z3V. E. Zakharov. Sov. Phvs. USD. 31. 672 (19881.
Y. Nejoh, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 23, 1973 (1990).
. . . I
6Y. Nejoh, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. PS-20, 80 ( 1992).
24F. S. Moser and M. Temerin, in High Latitude Space Plasma Physics,
H. H. Kuehl and K. Imen, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. PS-13, 37 ( 1985).
edited by El. Hultqvist and T. Hagfors (Plenum, New York, 1983),
*G. Chanteur and M. Raadu, Phys. Fluids 30, 2708 ( 1987).
p. 453.
T. Sato and H. Okuda, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 3357 (1981).
R Bostrlim, B. Holback, G. Holmgren, and H. Koskinen, Phys. Ser. 39,
782 (1989).
*OH. Alfvbn, Phys. Ser. TZ/l, 10 (1982).
2t P. Carlqvist, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. PS-14, 794 ( 1986).
*R. Bostrom, G. Gustafson, B. Holback, G. Holmgren, and H. Koski-
nen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 82 ( 1988).
2840 Phys. Fluids B, Vol. 4, No. 9, September 1992 Yasunori Nejoh 2840
This article is copyrighted as indicated in the article. Reuse of AIP content is subject to the terms at: http://scitationnew.aip.org/termsconditions. Downloaded to
IP: 103.27.8.43 On: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:08