Ion-acoustic solitons in a magnetized plasma with nonthermal electrons

Abstract

Obliquely propagating ion-acoustic solitons in a magnetized plasma consisting of warm adiabatic ions and nonthermal electrons have been investigated. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the Korteweg-de Vries equation which admits a solitary wave solution for small amplitude limit. The highly nonlinear situation has also been studied by the numerical solution of the full nonlinear system of equations. The presence of nonthermal electrons changes the nature of ion-acoustic solitons. In the small amplitude limit the soliton may change from compressive to rarefactive, while the full nonlinear equations may allow rarefactive and compressive solitary waves to coexist. The effects of external magnetic field, obliqueness and ion temperature on the amplitude and width of the compressive and rarefactive solitons are discussed.