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Article Dans Une Revue Annales Geophysicae Année : 2012

Non-propagating electric and density structures formed through non-linear interaction of Alfvén waves

Résumé

In the auroral zone of the Earth, the electron acceleration by Alfvén waves is sometimes seen as a precursor of the non-propagating acceleration structures. In order to investigate how Alfvén waves could generate non-propagating electric fields, a series of simulations of counter-propagating waves in a homogeneous medium is presented. The waves propagate along the ambient magnetic field direction. It is shown that non-propagating electric fields are generated at the locus of the Alfvén waves crossing. These electric fields have a component orientated along the direction of the ambient magnetic field, and they generate a significant perturbation of the plasma density. The non-linear interaction of down and up-going Alfvén waves might be a cause of plasma density fluctuations (with gradients along the magnetic field) on a scale comparable to those of the Alfvén wavelengths. The present paper is mainly focused on the creation process of the non-propagating parallel electric field.
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Dates et versions

hal-02986033 , version 1 (15-01-2021)

Licence

Paternité - Pas d'utilisation commerciale

Identifiants

Citer

F. Mottez. Non-propagating electric and density structures formed through non-linear interaction of Alfvén waves. Annales Geophysicae, 2012, 30 (1), pp.81-95. ⟨10.5194/angeo-30-81-2012⟩. ⟨hal-02986033⟩
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