Unusual dynamics and nonlinear thermal self-focusing of initially focused magnetoacoustic beams in a plasma

Abstract

Unusual thermal self-focusing of two-dimensional beams in plasma which axis is parallel to the equilibrium straight magnetic field is considered. The equilibrium parameters of plasma determine scenario of a beam divergence (usual or unusual) which is stronger as compared with a flow without magnetic field. Nonlinear thermal self-action of a magnetosonic beam behaves differently in the ordinary and unusual cases. Damping of wave perturbations and normal defocusing in gases leads to reduction of the magnitude of initially planar perturbations at the axis of a beam. Additional thermal self-focusing nonspecific for gases occurs in plasma under some condition which counteracts this reduction. The theory and numerical examples concern thermal self-action of initially focused (defocused) magnetosonic beam. Dynamics of perturbations in a beam is determined by dimensionless parameters responsible for diffraction, damping of the wave perturbations, initial radius of a beam's front curvature, and the ratio of viscous to thermal damping coefficients.