https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05463-x
Regular Article
Nonlinear kinetic Alfvén waves in upper ionosphere and reductive perturbation method
1
Theoretical Physics Division (TPD), PINSTECH, 45650, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan
2
Theoretical Research Institute, Pakistan Academy of Sciences (TRIPAS), 44000, Islamabad, Pakistan
3
Space and Astrophysics Research Lab (SARL), National Center of GIS and Space Applications (NCGSA), 44000, Islamabad, Pakistan
4
Department of Space Science, Institute of Space Technology (IST), 44000, Islamabad, Pakistan
5
School of Natural Sciences (SNS), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), 44000, Islamabad, Pakistan
Received:
16
May
2024
Accepted:
15
July
2024
Published online:
14
August
2024
The propagation of linear and nonlinear kinetic Alfven waves in oxygen and oxygen–hydrogen plasmas of upper ionosphere is investigated theoretically and results are compared with the Freja satellite observations at altitude of 1700 km. The hot electrons are assumed to follow the nonthermal rq-distribution, whereas the cold ions obey the Maxwellian velocity distribution. It is pointed out that the spatial scales in directions parallel and perpendicular to the constant external magnetic field 
are different for obliquely propagating Alfven waves, and normalization of the set of equations should be done carefully to derive the Korteweg–de Vries equation for solitary kinetic Alfven waves. The width of solitary Alfvenic structures depend upon the nonthermality of electrons through the parameters r and q. This theoretical model can be applied to other single-ion and bi-ion plasmas as well.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
