Electrostatic fluctuations in a magnetized two-component plasma with q-nonextensive electrons and thermal ions

Abstract

The effect of ion temperature on nonlinear low frequency electrostatic potential structures is studied in a two component magnetized plasma with q-nonextensive hot electrons. The standard Sagdeev pseudo-potential approach is used to investigate the existence of ion acoustic solitons and double layers and their dependence on finite ion temperature. Only solitons are found to exist, with the amplitude decreasing as the ion temperature increases. For parameters typical of the auroral plasma, our model yields a soliton electric field amplitude of 22 mV/m, which is within the range measured by satellites, and as such can be helpful in understanding the electrostatic fluctuations phenomena in space environments.