Dynamics of nonlinearly coupled upper-hybrid waves and modified Alfven modes in a magnetized dusty plasma

The nonlinear interaction between a large amplitude electrostatic upper-hybrid (uh) wave and Rao's modified Alfven mode in a uniform dusty magnetoplasma is considered. The wave equation for the uh wave envelope in a background of electron density and compressional magnetic field perturbations due to the Alfven mode is presented, and an equation for the latter in the presence of the uh wave ponderomotive force is derived. A nonlinearly coupled uh wave and driven Rao's modified Alfven mode equations are then used to investigate the parametric instabilities of a constant amplitude uh pump wave, and the formation of spiky uh wave solitons. The relevance of our investigation to space plasmas is discussed.(C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.