On the hall effect on Alfvén waves in non-uniform magnetic fields and inhomogeneous plasmas

Abstract

Active experiments in space plasma have in general, among others, the following effects: ( i) causing the plasma to become locally inhomogeneous; ( ii) enhancing the magnetic field strength above background values; ( iii) generating Alfvén waves. Thus it is of some interest to exhamine the properties of Alfvén waves in inhomogeneous plasmas and/or non-uniform magnetic field; the Hall effect becomes important when the magnetic field is strong, or the plasma of low density, so that ions can spiral between collisions. We study Alfvén waves, with Hall effect, in an isothermal plasma, in two model cases, viz. uniform and non-uniform magnetic field.