Alfven surface waves along a cylindrical plasma column surrounded by neutral gas

Abstract

The dispersion characteristics of Alfven surface waves along a cylindrical plasma column insulated by a neutral gas are discussed. There is no qualitative change in the characteristic curves below the critical magnetic field, given by vA approximately=s, as compared to the propagation of surface waves along the plasma-plasma interface. For magnetic fields above this critical value, there exists a cut-off wave number kc, which depends upon the azimuthal wave number, the radius of the cylinder, the strength of the magnetic field above the critical value and the gas pressure, such that surface waves do not exist for k<kc. The acoustic surface waves, which exist only in the presence of magnetic fields with a strength greater than the critical value, will therefore have restricted wavelength range 0< lambda < lambda c, when propagating along a cylindrical plasma column.