Propagation of arbitrary-amplitude ion waves in relativistically degenerate electron-ion plasmas

TL;DR

This paper investigates how relativistic degeneracy affects nonlinear ion wave propagation in dense electron-ion plasmas, with implications for astrophysical objects like white dwarfs and planetary cores.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical analysis of the conditions for nonlinear ion wave existence in relativistically degenerate plasmas using the Sagdeev pseudo-potential method.

Findings

Relativistic degeneracy parameter significantly influences wave dynamics.

Allowed Mach-number range depends on electron degeneracy.

Nonlinear excitations are feasible in superdense astrophysical plasmas.

Abstract

We employ the Sagdeev pseudo-potential method to investigate the propagation of nonlinear ion waves in a relativistically degenerate electron-ion plasmas. The matching criteria for existence of such nonlinear excitations are numerically investigated in terms of the relativity measure (relativistic degeneracy parameter) of electrons and the allowed Mach-number range for propagation of such waves is evaluated. It is shown that the electron relativistic degeneracy parameter has significant effects on nonlinear wave dynamics in superdense degenerate plasmas such as that encountered in white dwarfs and the cores of massive planets.