On the Linear Wave Motion in a Warm Plasma

Abstract

In this research, it is shown that critical layers can exist in a warm plasma only in presence of a shear flow and different orientations of a uniform magnetic fluid. The methodology followed extends the case of cold plasma to warm plasma with the inclusion of a new term. In the case of critical layer behaviour in a warm plasma the waves incident on the critical layer emerge from it being heavily attenuated or escalated by an exponential factor. Ion‐cyclotron waves effect have been considered and its effects on the cyclotron behaviour are obtained. A major result obtained is that a dimensionless number which usually characterizes critical layers is modified to suit the warm plasma, with the conditions laid on it. The objective of the research is to investigate the effect on heating the plasma with the relevance to fusion problems.