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Nonlinear evolution of short-wavelength torsional Alfvén waves
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Shestov, S. V., Nakariakov, V. M. (Valery M.), Ulyanov, A. S., Reva, A. A. and Kuzin, S. V. (2017) Nonlinear evolution of short-wavelength torsional Alfvén waves. The Astrophysical Journal, 840 (2). 64. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa6c65 ISSN 0004-637X.
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WRAP-nonlinear-evolution-short-wavelength-torsional-Alfvén-waves-Nakariakov-2017.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (1055Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa6c65
Abstract
We analyze nonlinear evolution of torsional Alfvén waves in a straight magnetic flux tube filled in with a low-β plasma, and surrounded with a plasma of lower density. Such magnetic tubes model, in particular, a segment of a coronal loop or a polar plume. The wavelength is taken comparable to the tube radius. We perform a numerical simulation of the wave propagation using ideal magnetohydrodynamics. We find that a torsional wave nonlinearly induces three kinds of compressive flows: the parallel flow at the Alfvén speed, which constitutes a bulk plasma motion along the magnetic field, the tube wave, and also transverse flows in the radial direction, associated with sausage fast magnetoacoustic modes. In addition, the nonlinear torsional wave steepens and its propagation speed increases. The latter effect leads to the progressive distortion of the torsional wave front, i.e., nonlinear phase mixing. Because of the intrinsic non-uniformity of the torsional wave amplitude across the tube radius, the nonlinear effects are more pronounced in regions with higher wave amplitudes. They are always absent at the axes of the flux tube. In the case of a linear radial profile of the wave amplitude, the nonlinear effects are localized in an annulus region near the tube boundary. Thus, the parallel compressive flows driven by torsional Alfvén waves in the solar and stellar coronae, are essentially non-uniform in the perpendicular direction. The presence of additional sinks for the wave energy reduces the efficiency of the nonlinear parallel cascade in torsional Alfvén waves.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy | ||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Sun -- Corona, Solar oscillations, Magnetohydrodynamic waves | ||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | The Astrophysical Journal | ||||||
Publisher: | Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. | ||||||
ISSN: | 0004-637X | ||||||
Official Date: | 5 May 2017 | ||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 840 | ||||||
Number: | 2 | ||||||
Article Number: | 64 | ||||||
DOI: | 10.3847/1538-4357/aa6c65 | ||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 9 May 2017 | ||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 9 May 2017 | ||||||
Funder: | Rossiĭskai︠a︡ akademii︠a︡ nauk [Russian Academy of Sciences] (RAN), Belgium. Politique scientifique fédérale [Belgian State Science Policy Office] (BELSPO), European Research Council (ERC) | ||||||
Grant number: | Grant No. 4000117262 (BELSPO), Project No. 321141 (ERC) |
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