Nonlinear kinetic Alfvén waves with non-Maxwellian electron population in space plasmas

Abstract

The present work discusses the effects of non-Maxwellian electron distributions on kinetic Alfvén waves in low-beta plasmas. Making use of the two-potential theory and employing the Sagdeev potential approach, the existence of solitary kinetic Alfvén waves having arbitrary amplitude is investigated. It is found that the use of non-Maxwellian population of electrons in the study of kinetic Alfvén waves leads to solutions corresponding to solitary structures that do not exist for Maxwellian electrons. The present investigation solves the riddle of plasma density fluctuations associated with strong electromagnetic perturbations observed by the Freja satellite. The present findings can also be applied to regions of space where various satellite missions have observed the presence of suprathermal populations of plasma species and where the low 𝛽 assumption is valid.