Fast magnetosonic waves in pulsar winds
arXiv:astro-ph/0211046 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06221.x
Abstract
Fast magnetosonic waves in a magnetically-dominated plasma are investigated. In the pulsar wind, these waves may transport a significant fraction of the energy flux. It is shown that the nonlinear steepening and subsequent formation of multiple shocks is a viable mechanism for the wave dissipation in the pulsar wind. The wave dissipation both in the free pulsar wind and beyond the wind termination shock is considered.
8 pages, 1 eps figure, to appear in MNRAS