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We consider dynamics and turbulent interaction of whistler modes within the framework of inertialess electron magnetohydrodynamics (EMHD). We argue that there is no energy principle in EMHD: any stationary closed configuration is neutrally stable. On the other hand, the relaxation principle, the long term evolution of a weakly dissipative system towards Taylor-Beltrami state, remains valid in EMHD. We consider the turbulent cascade of whistler modes. We show that (i) harmonic whistlers are exact nonlinear solutions; (ii) collinear whistlers do not interact (including counterpropagating); (iii) waves with the same value of the wave vector k\ = k2 do not interact; (iv) whistler modes have a dispersion that allows a three-wave decay, including into a zero frequency mode; (v) the three-wave interaction effectively couples modes with highly different wave numbers and propagation angles. In addition, linear interaction of a whistler with a single zero mode can lead to spatially divergent structures via parametric instability. All these properties are drastically different from MHD, so that the qualitative properties of the Alfvén turbulence can not be transferred to the EMHD turbulence. We derive the Hamiltonian formulation of EMHD, and using Bogoliubov transformation reduce it to the canonical form; we calculate the matrix elements for the three-wave interaction of whistlers. We solve numerically the kinetic equation and show that, generally, the EMHD cascade develops within a broad range of angles, while transiently it may show anisotropic, nearly two-dimensional structures. Development of a cascade depends on the forcing (nonuniversal) and often fails to reach a steady state. Analytical estimates predict the spectrum of magnetic fluctuations for the quasi-isotropic cascade ock~2. The cascade remains weak (not critically balanced). The cascade is UV local, while the infrared locality is weakly (logarithmically) violated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive a number of solutions for one-dimensional dynamics of relativistic magnetized plasma that can be used as benchmark estimates in relativistic hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic numerical codes. First, we analyze the properties of simple waves of fast modes propagating orthogonally to the magnetic field in relativistically hot plasma. The magnetic and kinetic pressures obey different equations of state, so that the system behaves as a mixture of gases with different polytropic indices. We find the self-similar solutions for the expansion of hot strongly magnetized plasma into vacuum. Second, we derive linear hodograph and Darboux equations for the relativistic Khalatnikov potential, which describe arbitrary one-dimensional isentropic relativistic motion of cold magnetized plasma and find their general and particular solutions. The obtained hodograph and Darboux equations are very powerful: A system of highly nonlinear, relativistic, time-dependeni equations describing arbitrary (not necessarily self-similar) dynamics of highly magnetized plasma reduces to a single linear differential equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intense radiation field can modify plasma properties and the corresponding refractive index and lead to nonlinear propagation effects such as self-focusing. We estimate the corresponding effects in pair plasmas for circularly polarized waves, in both unmagnetized and strongly magnetically dominated cases. First, in the unmagnetized pair plasma the ponderomotive force does not lead to charge separation but to density depletion. Second, for astrophysically relevant plasmas of pulsar magnetospheres [and possible loci of fast radio bursts (FRBs)], where the cyclotron frequency ωB dominates over the plasma frequency ωp and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave ωB≫ωp,ω, we show that (i) there is virtually no nonlinearity due to changing effective mass in the field of the wave; (ii) the ponderomotive force is F(B)p=-mec²/4B²0∇E², which is reduced by a factor (ω/ωB)² if compared to the unmagnetized case (B0 is the external magnetic field and E is the electric field of the wave); and (iii) for a radiation beam propagating along a constant magnetic field in the pair plasma with density n±, the ponderomotive force leads to the appearance of circular currents that lead to a decrease of the field within the beam by a factor ΔB/B0=2πn±mec²E²/B40. Applications to the physics of FRBs are discussed; we conclude that for the parameters of FRBs, the dominant magnetic field completely suppresses nonlinear self-focusing or filamentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first derive a set of equations describing general stationary configurations of relativistic force-free plasma, without assuming any geometric symmetries. We then demonstrate that electromagnetic interaction of merging neutron stars is necessarily dissipative due to the effect of electromagnetic draping-creation of dissipative regions near the star (in the single magnetized case) or at the magnetospheric boundary (in the double magnetized case). Our results indicate that even in the single magnetized case we expect that relativistic jets (or "tongues") are produced, with correspondingly beamed emission pattern.

We consider the Riemann problem for relativistic flows of polytropic fluids and find relations for the flow characteristics. Evolution of physical quantities takes especially simple form for the case of cold magnetized plasmas. We find exact explicit analytical solutions for one-dimensional expansion of magnetized plasma into vacuum, valid for arbitrary magnetization. We also consider expansion into cold unmagnetized external medium both for stationary initial conditions and for initially moving plasma, as well as reflection of rarefaction wave from a wall. We also find self-similar structure of three-dimensional magnetized outflows into vacuum, valid close to the plasma-vacuum interface.