Nonlinear excitation of kinetic Alfvén waves and whistler waves by electron beam-driven Langmuir waves in the solar corona

¹ Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
² Main Astronomical Observatory, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 27 Akademika Zabolotnoho St., 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
³ National Institute for Space Research – INPE, PO Box 515, 12201-970 Sao Jose dos Campos-SP, Brazil
⁴ World Institute for Space Research – WISER, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

Corresponding author: Yu. Voitenko, Yuriy.Voitenko@wis.kuleuven.ac.be

Received: 15 May 2003
Accepted: 16 July 2003

Abstract

We study a new nonlinear excitation mechanism of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and whistler waves (Ws) by electron beam-driven Langmuir waves (Ls). The generation conditions for the parametric decay instability L W + KAW are determined and the growth rate is calculated. We show that the resonant pairs of KAWs and whistler waves are nonlinearly coupled to the pump Langmuir waves and their amplitudes undergo exponential growth from the thermal level. The perpendicular dispersion of KAWs strongly increases the coupling due to the nonlinear current parallel to the ambient magnetic field. Our study suggests that the nonlinear coupling of Langmuir wave energy into KAWs and whistlers can provide an efficient sink for weakly dispersive Langmuir waves excited by fast electron beams in the solar corona when the electron plasma frequency is lower than the electron gyrofrequency. This condition can be satisfied in the low-density magnetic filaments that are rooted in the depleted patches at the coronal base and extend to the high corona. At the same time, the Langmuir-driven KAWs and whistlers give rise to scattering and/or thin structures of radio emission penetrating through, or generated in these regions. Since the decay into sunward propagating KAWs is strongest, the nonlinearly driven KAWs can be easily distinguished from the waves generated at the coronal base and propagating away from the Sun. Our results may be used in the analysis of solar radio data and for remote probing of the coronal plasma, magnetic fields, and waves.