Oblique propagation of nonlinear magnetosonic waves

Abstract

We consider obliquely propagating (with respect to the ambient field) nonlinear magnetosonic waves in a hot plasma with arbitrary beta. It is shown that the two-dimensional propagation of both the fast and the slow modes is governed by the Kadomstev–Petiashvilli soliton equation. Explicit expressions are obtained for the various physical quantities involved via the soliton solution.