Characteristics of Quantum Magnetosonic-Wave Dispersion

TL;DR

This paper investigates the linear dispersion of magnetosonic waves in quantum electron-ion plasmas, highlighting the influence of spin effects, plasma composition, and degeneracy regimes, with implications for astrophysics and plasma confinement.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of quantum magnetosonic wave dispersion considering spin and plasma composition effects in both nonrelativistic and relativistic degeneracy regimes.

Findings

Paramagnetic spin effects significantly influence wave dynamics.

Wave speed exhibits a minimum at a specific degeneracy parameter.

Plasma composition affects dispersion in relativistic degeneracy, unlike in nonrelativistic cases.

Abstract

Using the quantum magnetohydrodynamics (QMHD) model, linear dispersion of magnetosonic waves are studied in a quasineutral quantum electron-ion plasma in two distinct regimes of nonrelativistic and relativistic degeneracies considering also the plasma composition effect. It is shown that the paramagnetic spin effects of the degenerated electrons plays a key role in dynamics of magnetosonic waves. The linear wave-speed is found to have minimum value at some degeneracy parameter in such plasmas. This is due to delicate interplay between relativistic degeneracy and the Pauli spin-magnetization. It is also revealed that the plasma composition has significant effect on the linear dispersion in the relativistic degeneracy limit contrary to that of nonrelativistic case and Zeeman energy has significant effect in nonrelativistic degeneracy regime unlike that of relativistic one in the linear perturbation-limit. Current findings can have important applications in both inertial plasma confinement and astrophysical degenerate plasmas.