Alfvén waves in temperature anisotropic Cairns distributed plasma

Abstract

The dispersion relations and Landau damping of Alfvén waves in kinetic and inertial limits are studied in temperature anisotropic Cairns distributed plasma. In the case of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs), it is found that the real frequency is enhanced when either the electron perpendicular temperature or the non-thermal parameter Λ increases. For inertial Alfvén waves (IAWs), the real frequency is slightly affected by the electron temperature anisotropy and Λ. Besides the real frequency, the damping rate of KAWs is reduced when the electron perpendicular temperature or Λ increases. In the case of IAWs, the temperature anisotropy and Λ either enhance or reduce the damping rate depending upon the perpendicular wavelength. These results may be helpful to understand the dynamics of KAWs and IAWs in space plasmas where the non-Maxwellian distribution of particles are routinely observed.