Dipolar and Kelvin-Stuart’s cat’s eyes vortices in magnetoplasmas with non-Maxwellian electron distribution

Abstract

Linear and nonlinear propagation characteristics of drift ion acoustic waves are analyzed in an inhomogeneous plasma comprising of warm ions having shear flow parallel to the magnetic field and electrons that are followed by a distribution which is dictated by spectral indices, $r$ and $q$ in low and high phase density regions. In the linear regime, the dispersion relation of the drift-ion acoustic wave is derived and the condition for the onset of shear flow instability is presented. It is found that condition for the emergence of shear flow instability gets modified by generalized $(r,q)$ distribution and ion to electron temperature ratio. In the nonlinear regime, vortex formation with non-Maxwellian electron distribution is investigated and the effects of low and high energy electrons in this context are explored in detail. Interestingly, it is found that unlike the dipolar vortices, the electrons in the high phase space density regions do not significantly affect the Kelvin-Stuart’s cat’s eyes structures, however, the converse is true for the electrons belonging to the regions of low phase space density. Estimates of the size of these vortex structures in space plasmas are also given where the distribution function presented here is frequently encountered.