Magnetosonic wave

In physics, magnetosonic waves, also known as magnetoacoustic waves, are low-frequency compressive waves driven by mutual interaction between an electrically conducting fluid and a magnetic field. They are associated with compression and rarefaction of both the fluid and the magnetic field, as well as with an effective tension that acts to straighten bent magnetic field lines. The properties of magnetosonic waves are highly dependent on the angle between the wavevector and the equilibrium magnetic field and on the relative importance of fluid and magnetic processes in the medium. They only propagate with frequencies much smaller than the ion cyclotron or ion plasma frequencies of the medium, and they are nondispersive at small amplitudes.
There are two types of magnetosonic waves, fast magnetosonic waves and slow magnetosonic waves, which—together with Alfvén waves—are the normal modes of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. The fast and slow modes are distinguished by magnetic and gas pressure oscillations that are either in-phase or anti-phase, respectively. This results in the phase velocity of any given fast mode always being greater than or equal to that of any slow mode in the same medium, among other differences.
Magnetosonic waves have been observed in the Sun's corona and provide an observational foundation for coronal seismology.

Characteristics

Magnetosonic waves are a type of low-frequency wave present in electrically conducting, magnetized fluids, such as plasmas and liquid metals. They exist at frequencies far below the cyclotron and plasma frequencies of both ions and electrons in the medium.
In an ideal, homogeneous, electrically conducting, magnetized fluid of infinite extent, there are two magnetosonic modes: the fast and slow modes. They form, together with the Alfvén wave, the three basic linear magnetohydrodynamic waves. In this regime, magnetosonic waves are nondispersive at small amplitudes.

Dispersion relation

The fast and slow magnetosonic waves are defined by a bi-quadratic dispersion relation that can be derived from the linearized MHD equations.

Phase and group velocities

The phase velocities of the fast and slow magnetosonic waves depend on the angle between the wavevector and the equilibrium magnetic field as well as the equilibrium density, pressure, and magnetic field strength. From the roots of the magnetosonic dispersion relation, the associated phase velocities can be expressed as
where the upper sign gives the phase velocity of the fast mode and the lower sign gives the phase velocity of the slow mode.
The phase velocity of the fast mode is always greater than or equal to, which is greater than or equal to that of the slow mode,. This is due to the differences in the signs of the thermal and magnetic pressure perturbations associated with each mode. The magnetic pressure perturbation can be expressed in terms of the thermal pressure perturbation and phase velocity as
For the fast mode, so magnetic and thermal pressure perturbations have matching signs. Conversely, for the slow mode, so magnetic and thermal pressure perturbations have opposite signs. In other words, the two pressure perturbations reinforce one another in the fast mode, but oppose one another in the slow mode. As a result, the fast mode propagates at a faster speed than the slow mode.
The group velocity of fast and slow magnetosonic waves is defined by
where and are local orthogonal unit vector in the direction of and in the direction of increasing, respectively. In a spherical coordinate system with a -axis along the unperturbed magnetic field, these unit vectors correspond to those in the direction of increasing radial distance and increasing polar angle.

Limiting cases

Incompressible fluid

In an incompressible fluid, the density and pressure perturbations vanish, and, resulting in the sound speed tending to infinity,. In this case, the slow mode propagates with the Alfvén speed,, and the fast mode disappears from the system,.

Cold limit

Under the assumption that the background temperature is zero, it follows from the ideal gas law that the thermal pressure is also zero,, and, as a result, that the sound speed vanishes,. In this case, the slow mode disappears from the system,, and the fast mode propagates isotropically with the Alfvén speed,. In this limit, the fast mode is sometimes referred to as a compressional Alfvén wave.

Parallel propagation

When the wavevector and the equilibrium magnetic field are parallel,, the fast and slow modes propagate as either a pure sound wave or pure Alfvén wave, with the fast mode identified with the larger of the two speeds and the slow mode identified with the smaller.

Perpendicular propagation

When the wavevector and the equilibrium magnetic field are perpendicular,, the fast mode propagates as a longitudinal wave with phase velocity equal to the magnetosonic speed, and the slow mode propagates as a transverse wave with phase velocity approaching zero.

Inhomogeneous fluid

In the case of an inhomogeneous fluids the MHD waves lose their defining nature and get mixed properties. In some setups, such as the axisymmetric waves in a straight cylinder with a circular basis, the three MHD waves can still be clearly distinguished. But in general, the pure Alfvén and fast and slow magnetosonic waves don't exist, and the waves in the fluid are coupled to each other in intricate ways.

Observations

Both fast and slow magnetosonic waves have been observed in the solar corona providing an observational foundation for the technique for coronal plasma diagnostics, coronal seismology.