Ion-acoustic rogue waves in multi-ion plasmas

Abstract: The basic properties of nonlinear ion-acoustic (IA) waves (IAWs), particularly finite amplitude IA rogue waves (IARWs) in a plasma medium (containing pair ions, iso-thermal positrons and non-thermal electrons) are theoretically investigated by deriving the nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation (NLSE). The criteria for the modulational instability of IAWs, and the basic features of finite amplitude IARWs are identified. The modulationally stable and unstable regions are determined by the sign of the ratio of the dispersive coefficient to the nonlinear coefficient of NLSE. The latter is analyzed to obtain the region for the existence of the IARWs, which corresponds to the unstable region. The shape of the profile of the rogue waves depends on the non-thermal parameter $\alpha$ and the ratio of electron temperature to positron temperature. It is found that the increase in the value of the non-thermal parameter enhances both the amplitude and width of IARWs, and that the enhancement of positron (electron) temperature reduces (enhances) the amplitude and width of IARWs. It is worth to mention that our present investigation may be useful for understanding the salient features of IARWs in space (viz., upper region of Titan's atmosphere, cometary comae, and Earth's ionosphere, etc.) and laboratory (viz., plasma processing reactor and neutral beam sources, etc.) plasmas.