Magnetoacoustic Heating of Plasma Caused by Periodic Magnetosound Perturbations with Discontinuities in a Quasi-Isentropic Magnetic Gas

Abstract

The magnetoacoustic heating of a plasma by harmonic or periodic saw-tooth perturbations at a transducer is theoretically studied. The planar fast and slow magnetosound waves are considered. The wave vector may form an arbitrary angle θ with the equilibrium straight magnetic strength. In view of variable θ and plasma-β, the description of magnetosound perturbations and relative magnetosound heating is fairly difficult. The scenario of heating depends not only on plasma-β and θ, but also on a balance between nonlinear attenuation at the shock front and inflow of energy into a system. Under some conditions, the average over the magnetosound period force of heating may tend to a positive or negative limit, or may tend to zero, or may remain constant when the distance from a transducer tends to infinity. Dynamics of temperature specifying heating differs in thermally stable and unstable cases and occurs unusually in the isentropically unstable flows.