Publication Date: 2026
Pramana - Journal of Physics (03044289)100(1)
In the study of plasma, particularly in applications involving strong laser-plasma interactions, the propagation of a strong electromagnetic wave induces relativistic velocities in the electron flow. Given such conditions, the wave propagating through the plasma experiences modulational instability. In this paper, we investigate this instability using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. In the relativistic limit, the motion of ions can be neglected due to their significant inertia, allowing us to treat the ions as a background fluid. This simplification enables us to apply perturbation techniques to the electron fluid equations, leading to the derivation of the nonlinear wave equation in the form of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation (NLSE). We also explore the relationship between wave dispersion and the conditions for instability. We derive the maximum growth rate of the modulational instability and analyze its dependence on plasma parameters and wave intensity in the context of relativistic magnetized plasma, providing quantitative insights into the instability dynamics. Finally, we examine aspects of the perturbed NLSE using the Bogoliubov-Mitropolsky perturbation approach, treating real and imaginary coefficients separately, which explicitly incorporates both Nonlinear Landau Damping (NLLD) and growth-damping effects. © Indian Academy of Sciences 2026.
