Nonlinear Waves in the Magnetically Structured Solar Atmosphere

Abstract

AbstractIn this review we consider the propagation of nonlinear waves in magnetically structured plasmas. We start from studying nonlinear surface waves on magnetic interfaces and give a derivation of the equation governing propagation of these waves in incompressible plasmas. We present the results of a numerical solution of this equation. Then we discuss various generalizations of this equation.We proceed to study slow nonlinear waves in magnetic slabs. We present the Benjamin-Ono equation describing nonlinear slow sausage surface waves in magnetic slabs, and discuss its solutions in the form of algebraic solitons. Then we consider nonlinear slow body waves and write down the governing equation for these waves. We discuss its numerical solution which shows that the evolution of an initial perturbation results in a gradient catastrophe.After that we consider nonlinear slow sausage surface and slow body waves in magnetic tubes, which are similar to the corresponding counterparts in magnetic slabs. We present a system of two equations describing both types of waves. We briefly discuss the derivation of the Leibovich-Roberts equation for slow sausage surface waves from this system of equations, and present the results of its numerical study. Then we give a brief description of the derivation of the governing equation for slow body waves, which is very similar to its counterpart for slow body waves in magnetic slabs and has very similar properties. We complete this part of the review with presenting the governing equation for non-axisymmetric surface waves in a thin magnetic tube in an incompressible plasma.In the last part of the paper we consider the damping of nonlinear waves in weakly dissipative magnetically structured plasmas. We briefly discuss the application of the obtained results to the problem of heating of the solar corona.KeywordsSurface WaveSolitary WaveSolar PhysMagnetic TubeKink ModeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.