Parametric excitation of magnetoacoustic waves by a pump magnetic field in a high-β plasma

Abstract

The parametric excitation of slow, intermediate (Alfvén) and fast magneto-acoustic waves by a modulated spatially non-uniform magnetic field in a plasma with a finite ratio of gas pressure to magnetic pressure is considered. The waves are excited in pairs, either pairs of the same mode, or a pair of different modes. The growth rates of the instabilities are calculated and compared with the known result for the Alfvén wave in a zero gas pressure plasma. The only waves that are found not to be excited are the slow plus fast wave pair, and the intermediate plus slow or fast wave pair (unless the waves have a component of propagation direction perpendicular to both the background magnetic field and the direction of non-uniformity of the field).