Analysis of Electromagnetic Fields in Inertial Alfven Wave Collisions

Turbulence in astrophysical and space plasmas is dominated by the nonlinear interaction of counterpropagating Alfv\'{e}n waves. Most Alfv\'{e}n wave turbulence theories have been based on ideal plasma models, such as incompressible MHD, for Alfv\'{e}n waves at large scales. The theory predicts that the nonlinear interaction of two counterpropagating MHD Alfv\'{e}n waves will produce a secondary daughter wave. The theory for large scale MHD waves has been previously verified by our research group [1]. However, in the small scale regime where inertial Alfv\'{e}n waves dominate, the theory has yet to be determined. We present here experiments performed in the Large Plasma Device that focus on the interaction of two counterpropagating inertial Alfv\'{e}n waves traveling parallel to the background magnetic field. The evidence clearly shows the production of a nonlinear daughter wave, similar to those observed for MHD Alfv\'{e}n waves. \\[4pt] [1] D. J. Drake, J. W. R. Schroeder, G. G. Howes, C. A. Kletzing, F. Skiff, T. A. Carter, and D. W. Auerbach, Phys. Plasmas \textbf{20}, 072901 (2013).