Nonlinear electromagnetic perturbations in a degenerate ultrarelativistic electron-positron plasma.

Nonlinear propagation of fast and slow magnetosonic perturbation modes in an ultrarelativistic, ultracold, degenerate (extremely dense) electron positron (EP) plasma (containing ultrarelativistic, ultracold, degenerate electron and positron fluids) has been investigated by the reductive perturbation method. The Alfvén wave velocity is modified due to the presence of the enthalpy correction in the fluid equations of motion. The degenerate EP plasma system (under consideration) supports the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) solitons, which are associated with either fast or slow magnetosonic perturbation modes. It is found that the ultrarelativistic model leads to compressive (rarefactive) electromagnetic solitons corresponding to the fast (slow) wave mode. There are certain critical angles, θ(c), at which no soliton solution is found corresponding to the fast wave mode. For the slow mode, the magnetic-field intensity affects both the soliton amplitude and width. It is also illustrated that the basic features of the electromagnetic solitary structures, which are found to exist in such a degenerate EP plasma, are significantly modified by the effects of enthalpy correction, electron and positron degeneracy, magnetic-field strength, and the relativistic effect. The applications of the results in a pair-plasma medium, which occurs in many astrophysical objects (e.g., pulsars, white dwarfs, and neutron stars) are briefly discussed.