Accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the CSIRO/COSNet Workshop on Turbulence and Coherent Structures, Canberra, Australia, 10-13 January 2006 (World Scientific, in preparation, eds. J.P. Denier and J.S. Frederiksen): 15 pages, 2 figures (3 figure files) - resubmitted to correct one-line overflow onto page 16
This paper gives a pedagogic review of the envelope formalism for excitation of zonal flows by nonlinear interactions of plasma drift waves or Rossby waves, described equivalently by the Hasegawa-Mima (HM) equation or the quasigeostrophic barotropic potential vorticity equation, respectively. In the plasma case a modified form of the HM equation, which takes into account suppression of the magnetic-surface-averaged electron density response by a small amount of rotational transform, is also analyzed. Excitation of zonal mean flow by a modulated wave train is particularly strong in the modified HM case. A local dispersion relation for a coherent wave train is calculated by linearizing about a background mean flow and used to find the nonlinear frequency shift by inserting the nonlinearly excited mean flow. Using the generic nonlinear Schroedinger equation about a uniform carrier wave, the criterion for instability of small modulations of the wave train is found, as is the maximum growth rate and phase velocity of the modulations and zonal flows, in both the modified and unmodified cases.
The generation of large-scale zonal flows by small-scale electrostatic drift waves in electron temperature gradient(ETG) driven turbulence model is considered. The generation mechanism is based on the modulational instability of a finite amplitude monochromatic drift wave. The threshold and growth rate of the instability as well as the optimal spatial scale of zonal flow are obtained.
The dynamics of the radial envelope of a weak coherent drift wave is approximately governed by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which emerges as a limit of the modified Hasegawa-Mima equation. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation has well-known soliton solutions, and its modulational instability can naturally generate solitary structures. In this paper, we demonstrate that this simple model can adequately describe the formation of solitary zonal structures in the modified Hasegawa-Mima equation, but only when the amplitude of the coherent drift wave is relatively small. At larger amplitudes, th…
Excitation of zonal flow by the modulational instability in the presence of mean shear flow is considered. It is shown that the small amplitude mean flow favours the modulational instability, increasing the growth rate, whereas sufficiently strong mean shear significantly reduces the instability growth rate.
In this section, we examine the transition from statistically homogeneous turbulence to inhomogeneous turbulence with zonal flows. Statistical equations of motion can be derived from the quasilinear approximation to the Hasegawa-Mima equation. We review recent work that finds a bifurcation of these equations and shows that the emergence of zonal flows mathematically follows a standard type of pattern formation. We also show that the dispersion relation of modulational instability can be extracted from the statistical equations of motion in a certain limit. The statistical formulation can thus …
We propose a new mechanism for the generation of zonal flows in magnetically confined plasmas, complementing previous theories based on a modulational instability. We derive a new conservation law that operates in the regime of weakly nonlinear dynamics, and show that it serves to focus the inverse cascade of turbulent drift wave energy into zonal flows. This mechanism continues to operate in the absence of the separation of dynamical scales typically assumed in instability calculations.
Amplitude modulation of quantum ion-acoustic waves (QIAWs) in a quantum electron-pair-ion plasma is studied. It is shown that the quantum coupling parameter $H$ (being the ratio of the plasmonic energy density to the Fermi energy) is ultimate responsible for the modulational stability of QIAW packets, without which the wave becomes modulational unstable. New regimes for the modulational stability (MS) and instability (MI) are obtained in terms of $H$ and the positive to negative ion density ratio $β$. The growth rate of MI is obtained, the maximum value of which increases with $β$ and decrease…
The basic features of nucleus-acoustic (NA) envelope bright and dark solitons, which exist in degenerate quantum plasmas, have been theoretically investigated by deriving the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation. The reductive perturbation method, which is valid for a small but finite amplitude limit, is employed. It is found that the bright envelope solitons are modulationally unstable, whereas the dark ones are stable. It is also observed that the fundamental properties (viz. Modulational instability (MI) growth rate, width and energy concentration of NA waves, etc.) of NA unstable bright en…
A generalized plasma model having warm ions, iso-thermal electrons, super-thermal electrons and positrons is considered to theoretically investigate the modulational instability (MI) of ion-acoustic waves (IAWs). A standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived by applying reductive perturbation method to study the MI of IAWs. It is observed that the MI criteria of the IAWs are significantly modified by various plasma parameters. The present results should be useful in understanding the conditions for MI of IAWs which are relevant to both space and laboratory plasma system.
Modulational instability (MI) of ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) has been theoretically investigated in a plasma system which is composed of inertial warm adiabatic ions, isothermal positrons, and two temperature superthermal electrons. A nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation is derived by using reductive perturbation method that governs the MI of the IAWs. The numerical analysis of the solution of NLS equation shows the existence of both stable (dark envelope solitons exist) and unstable (bright envelope solitons exist) regimes of IAWs. It is observed that the basic features (viz. stability of the w…
Dust-acoustic (DA) waves (DAWs) and their modulational instability (MI) have been investigated theoretically in a plasma system consisting of inertial opposite polarity (positively and negatively) warm adiabatic charged dust particles as well as inertialess non-extensive $q$-distributed electrons and non-thermal ions. A nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation is derived by using the reductive perturbation method. It has been observed from the analysis of NLS equaion that the modulationally stable solitary DAWs give rise to the existence of dark envelope solitons, and that the modulationally unsta…
The impact of superthermal electrons on dispersion properties of isotropic plasmas and on the modulational instability of a monochromatic Langmuir wave is studied for the case when the power-law tail of the electron distribution function extends to relativistic velocities and contains most of the plasma kinetic energy. Such an energetic tail of electrons is shown to increase the thermal correction to the Langmuir wave frequency, which is equivalent to the increase of the effective electron temperature in the fluid approach, and has almost no impact on the dispersion of ion-acoustic waves, in w…
In geophysical and plasma contexts, zonal flows are well known to arise out of turbulence. We elucidate the transition from statistically homogeneous turbulence without zonal flows to statistically inhomogeneous turbulence with steady zonal flows. Starting from the Hasegawa--Mima equation, we employ both the quasilinear approximation and a statistical average, which retains a great deal of the qualitative behavior of the full system. Within the resulting framework known as CE2, we extend recent understanding of the symmetry-breaking `zonostrophic instability'. Zonostrophic instability can be u…
We present a theory of the nonlinear growth of zonal flows in magnetized plasma turbulence, by the mechanism of secondary instability. The theory is derived for general magnetic geometry, and is thus applicable to both tokamaks and stellarators. The predicted growth rate is shown to compare favorably with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations, with the error scaling as expected with the small parameter of the theory.
The modulational instability (MI) criteria of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) waves (DIAWs) have been investigated in a four-component pair-ion plasma having inertial pair-ions, inertialess non-thermal non-extensive electrons, and immobile negatively charged massive dust grains. A nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) is derived by using reductive perturbation method. The nonlinear and dispersive coefficients of the NLSE can predict the modulationally stable and unstable parametric regimes of DIAWs and associated first and second order DIA rogue waves (DIARWs). The MI growth rate and the configuration…
We investigate the growth of ion density perturbations in large-amplitude linear laser wakefields via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Growth rates and wave numbers are found to be consistent with a longitudinal strong-field modulational instability (SFMI). We examine the transverse dependence of the instability for a Gaussian wakefield envelope and show that growth rates and wavenumbers can be maximised off-axis. On-axis growth rates are found to decrease with increasing ion mass or electron temperature. These results are in close agreement with the dispersion relation of a Langm…
A proper theoretical research has been carried out to explore the modulational instability (MI) conditions of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) waves (DIAWs) in a three-component dusty plasma system containing inertialess $κ$-distributed electrons, and inertial warm positive ions and negative dust grains. The novel nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) has been derived by employing the reductive perturbation method. The analysis under consideration demonstrates two types of modes, namely, fast and slow DIA modes. The dispersion and nonlinear properties of the plasma medium, as well as the MI conditions …
We study collective processes for an electron beam propagating through a background plasma using simulations and analytical theory. A new regime where the instability of a Langmuir wave packet can grow locally much faster than ion frequency is clearly identified. The key feature of this new regime is an Electron Modulational Instability that rapidly creates a local Langmuir wave packet, which in its turn produces local charge separation and strong ion density perturbations because of the action of the ponderomotive force, such that the beam-plasma wave interaction stops being resonant. Three e…
The modulational instability of dust-ion-acoustic (DIA) mode and associated rogue waves in a three component dusty plasma system (containing inertial warm ion and negatively charged dust fluids along with inertialess $q$-distributed electrons) has been theoretically investigated. A nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) has been derived by employing the reductive perturbation method. It is observed that the dusty plasma system under consideration supports the fast and slow DIA modes, and that the dispersion and nonlinear coefficients of the NLSE determine the parametric regimes not only for the…
Collective response dynamics of a strongly coupled system departs from the continuum phase upon transition to the quasicrystalline phase, or formation of a Wigner lattice. The wave nonlinearity leading to the modulational instability in recent studies, for example, of a quasicrystalline dusty plasma lattice, predicts inevitable emergence of macroscopic structures from mesoscopic carrier fluctuations. The modulational instability in the quasi crystalline or amorphous phase of a strongly coupled system, uniquely accessed under the quasi-localized charge approximation (QLCA), generates a narrower…
A new strategy is presented to explain the creation and persistence of zonal flows widely observed in plasma edge turbulence. The core physics in the edge regime of the magnetic-fusion tokamaks can be described qualitatively by the one-state modified Hasegawa-Mima (MHM) model, which creates enhanced zonal flows and more physically relevant features in comparison with the familiar Charney-Hasegawa-Mima (CHM) model for both plasma and geophysical flows. The generation mechanism of zonal jets is displayed from the secondary instability analysis via nonlinear interactions with a background base st…
The linear instability of the electron temperature gradient (ETG) driven modes in the presence of zonal flows is investigated. Random and deterministic $cos$ - like profiles of the zonal flow are considered. It is shown that the presence of shearing by zonal flows can stabilize the linear instability of ETG drift modes.
We demonstrate theoretically and numerically the zonal-flow/drift-wave feedback mechanism for the LH transition in an idealised model of plasma turbulence driven by a small scale instability. Zonal flows are generated by a secondary modulational instability of the modes which are directly driven by the primary instability. The zonal flows then suppress the small scales thereby arresting the energy injection into the system, a process which can be described using nonlocal wave turbulence theory. Finally, the arrest of the energy input results in saturation of the zonal flows at a level which ca…
A four component space plasma system (consisting of immobile positive ions, inertial cold positrons as well as hot electrons and positrons following Cairns' nonthermal distribution function is considered. The nonlinear propagation of the positron-acoustic (PA) waves, in which the inertia (restoring force) is provided by the cold positron species (nonthermal pressure of both hot electron and positron species) has been theoretically investigated by deriving the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation. It is found from the numerical analysis of this NLS equation that the space plasma system under co…
A theoretical investigation has been made to understand the mechanism of the formation of both bright and dark envelope soltions associated with dust-ion-acoustic waves (DIAWs) propagating in an unmagnetized three component dusty plasma medium having inertial warm positive ions and negative dust grains, and inertialess non-thermal Cairns' distributed electrons. A nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) is derived by employing reductive perturbation method. The effects of plasma parameters, viz., $γ_2$ (the ratio of the positive ion temperature to electron temperature times the charge state of io…
An analytical model for zonal flow generation by toroidal ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) modes, including finite $β$ electromagnetic effects, is derived. The derivation is based on a fluid model for ions and electrons and takes into account both linear and nonlinear $β$ effects. The influence of finite plasma $β$ on the zonal flow growth rate ($γ_{ZF}$) scaling is investigated for typical tokamak plasma parameters. The results show the importance of the zonal flows close to marginal stability where $γ_{ZF}/γ_{ITG}>>1$ is obtained. In this region the parameter $γ_{ZF}/γ_{ITG}$ increases with $β…
Nonlinear relations among frequencies and phases in modulational instability of circularly polarized Alfven waves are discussed, within the context of one dimensional, dissipation-less, unforced fluid system. We show that generation of phase coherence is a natural consequence of the modulational instability of Alfven waves. Furthermore, we quantitatively evaluate intensity of wave-wave interaction by using bi-coherence, and also by computing energy flow among wave modes, and demonstrate that the energy flow is directly related to the phase coherence generation.
