Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The oscillation caused by an individual field line Q n ( z ) can be studied as an
eigenvalue of the Dungey's problem (5.9)-(5.10).
For a non-dissipative 1D system u n ( x, t ) is found from the equation of the
oscillations of an ideal harmonic oscillator
d 2
d t 2 u ( x, t )+ ω An ( x ) u ( x, t )=
j ( x, t )
B 0
4 π
c
.
where u is the initial displacement and d u/ d t is plasma velocity at t =0.
Standing Alfven oscillations of a field line with account taken of the losses
at the confined boundaries, are similar to oscillations of a stretched string with
energy absorption at the clamped end points. The analogy between field line
Alfven oscillations and oscillations of a string is not only formal in character,
but it has a clear physical sense. The restoring force in Alfven oscillations
arises due to the tension of magnetic field-lines (see (4.14)). With dissipation
taken into account, the evolution of n -th harmonic of the field line oscillation
can be found from the equation of an oscillator with losses
d 2
j ( x, t )
B 0
d t 2 u ( x, t )+2 n d
4 π
c
d t u ( x, t )+ ω An ( x )=
,
where the resonance frequency ω An and the decrement are determined by
(5.20)-(5.21).
Cavity Modes
In a cold homogeneous plasma, the absolute value of phase velocity of FMS-
waves is independent of the angle between the main magnetic field (see, e.g.,
(4.41b)). It follows that FMS-waves are not guided by the field-lines and can
fill the whole resonance region. Therefore, the normal modes of FMS-wave
resonator are often called cavity modes.
Differentiating (5.59) and substituting (5.60) for displacements ξ xωn ,we
obtain the equation for FMS-waves in the box model:
+ ω 2
k n ( ω ) ξ xωn =
d 2 ξ xωn
d x 2
c 2 A ( x )
f ξωn ,
(5.70)
ξ xωn | x =0; l x =0 .
(5.71)
The corresponding uniform boundary problem
+ ω 2
k n ( ω ) ξ xωn =0 ,
d 2 ξ xωn
d x 2
c 2 A ( x )
(5.72)
ξ xωn | x =0; l x =0 .
(5.73)
is the generalized Sturm-Liouville problem for determining the resonance fre-
quencies of the cavity modes.
 
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