Interaction of sound waves with slow dissipative layers in anisotropic plasmas in the approximation of weak nonlinearity

Abstract

Nonlinear theory of driven magnetohydrodynamics waves in the slow dissipative layer in anisotropic plasmas developed by Ballai, Ruderman, and Erdélyi [Phys. Plasmas 5, 252 (1998)] is used to study the nonlinear interaction of sound waves with static one-dimensional anisotropic plasmas. The magnetic configuration consists of a nonhomogeneous magnetic slab sandwiched by a homogeneous magnetic-free plasma and by a homogeneous magnetic plasma. Sound waves launched from the magnetic-free plasma propagate into the inhomogeneous region interacting with the localized slow dissipative layer and are partially reflected, dissipated or transmitted by this region. The nonlinearity parameter, introduced by Ballai, Ruderman, and Erdélyi, is assumed to be small and a regular perturbation method is used to obtain analytical wave solutions. The main effects caused by nonlinearity in the dissipative layer are the decrease in the absorption coefficient and the generation of higher harmonics in the outgoing wave in addition to the fundamental one. We also found that the nonlinear coefficient of wave energy absorption does depend on the particular type of dissipation operating in the slow dissipative layer.