Spin solitons in magnetized pair plasmas

Abstract

A set of fluid equations, taking into account the spin properties of the electrons and positrons in a magnetoplasma, are derived. The magnetohydrodynamic limit of the pair plasma is investigated. It is shown that the microscopic spin properties of the electrons and positrons can lead to interesting macroscopic and collective effects in strongly magnetized plasmas. In particular, it is found that new Alfvénic solitary structures, governed by a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation, are allowed in such plasmas. These solitary structures vanish if the quantum spin effects are neglected. Our results should be of relevance for astrophysical plasmas, e.g. in pulsar magnetospheres, as well as low-temperature laboratory plasmas.

Nonlinear electromagnetic wave equations for superdense magnetized plasmas

“…[6][7][8][9][10] In dense plasmas the degenerate electrons follow Fermi-Dirac statistics, and there are quantum tunneling [11][12][13][14][15][16] and spin [17][18][19][20] forces due to the spread in the electron probability wave function. The quantum statistical electron pressure and quantum Bohm forces produce wave dispersions at nanoscales.…”

Erratum: “Nonlinear electromagnetic wave equations for superdense magnetized plasmas” [Phys. Plasmas 16, 072114 (2009)]

“…the interior of white dwarf stars, magnetars, giant planetary interiors), and in the next generation intense laser-solid density plasma experiments [4,5,6,7,8]. In dense plasmas the degenerate electrons follow Fermi-Dirac statistics, with quantum tunneling [9,10,11,12,13,14,15] and spin [16,17,18,19,20] forces due to the spread in the electron probability wave-function. The quantum statistical electron pressure and quantum forces produce wave dispersion at nanoscales.…”

Spin magnetosonic shock-like waves in quantum plasmas

“…Recent investigations indicate that the spin properties of the electrons and positrons can lead to interesting collective effects in quantum magnetoplasmas [19]. More recently, it has been shown that the electron spin 1/2 effect significantly modifies the dynamics [21] and modulational instability domain [22] of magnetosonic solitary waves and the collective effects in strongly magnetized plasmas [23].…”