Discrete Alfvén waves in planar flux tubes (Q1081500): Difference between revisions

Properties of discrete Alfvén wave modes are derived, at frequencies up to the ion-cyclotron frequency, for current-carrying plasma slabs with non-uniform densities. It is shown that the essential features of the dispersion relations can be derived by examining the dominant terms in the 'potential' function, when the wave equation is cast in the Schrödinger equation form. Analytical predictions for a class of mass and current density profiles are compared with numerically calculated dispersion relations and wavefields for particular profiles.