Waves in a cold plasma with spatially periodic sheared fields

Abstract

We have studied wave propagation in a cold plasma, in the presence of a spatially rotating magnetic field of constant magnitude. New features introduced by this variation include streaming velocities and a plasma current in equilibrium and density fluctuations. We present only the case of wave propagation along the axis of rotation of the magnetic field. A set of ordinary differential equations for the electric field components is obtained, which may be combined into a single fourth-order ordinary differential equation with periodic coefficients. Solutions are obtained in closed form and their nature is determined in terms of the physical parameters of the System, magnetic field strength, number density and wave frequency.