Exact nonlinear dust kinetic Alfvén waves in a dust-ion plasma

Abstract

The properties of nonlinear dust kinetic Alfvén waves in a collisionless, low (but finite)-β, dust-ion plasma are investigated by employing the pseudo-potential approach, which is valid for arbitrary amplitude solitary waves. It is shown both analytically and numerically that a dusty plasma model can support solitary waves consisting of density humps or dips. Furthermore, the properties of these solitary waves are found to be significantly modified by the speed and obliqueness of the wave propagation. The findings of the present investigation should be useful in understanding the formation of coherent nonlinear soliton structures in space and astrophysical dusty plasmas, such as in planetary rings and cometary tails.