LAUSR

The effect of electron inertia on Alfven wave propagation is investigated in the framework of the two-fluid theory in a compressible magnetized plasma. The linear analysis of the governing equations manifests the dispersion relation of the circularly polarized Alfven waves where the electron inertia is found to act as a source of dispersion. In the finite amplitude limit, the nonlinear Alfven wave may be described by the Derivative Nonlinear Schrodinger equation (DNLSE) modified by third order dispersion arising due to finite electron inertia. The derived equation seems to be novel with respect to what exists in the literature of Alfven wave dynamics. We have shown that this electron inertia modified DNLSE is completely integrable and an analytical solution is demonstrated with vanishing boundary conditions. The results are expected to be of special importance in the context of space and laboratory plasmas.