Oscillations of a three-component assembly with or without magnetic field

Abstract

The plasma is taken to be composed of singly ionized molecules, free electrons and neutral molecules, each of the component being described by the hydromagnetic equations, modified to take into account the displacement current, existence of free charge in the medium, and the modified current equation without involving the scalar conductivity. The basic equations are linearized and only small amplitude waves are considered. In the absence of any external magnetic field, the transverse and longitudinal modes of oscillation separate out. In the transverse part a coupled plasma oscillation occurs which could be propagated only above a certain critical frequency and in the longitudinal part one extraordinary mode of propagation occurs having a forbidden range of frequencies. When there is an external applied magnetic field, ordinary and extraordinary waves are propagated along the direction of the magnetic field, whereas only ordinary waves are propagated transverse to the magnetic field. The critical frequencies above which these waves are propagated are evaluated and, the possible explanation of this medium like behaviour could be the implicit assumption of conductivity being not a scalar.