New types of stable nonlinear whistler waveguides

Abstract

Abstract. The stationary self-focusing of whistler waves with frequencies near half of the electron-cyclotron frequency in the ionospheric plasma is considered in the framework of a two-dimensional generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation including fourth-order dispersion effects and nonlinearity saturation. New types of soliton-like (with zero topological charge) and vortex-like nonlinear waveguides are found, and their stability confirmed both analytically and numerically.