Spin solitons in magnetized pair plasmas

Abstract

A set of fluid equations, taking into account the spin properties of the electrons and positrons in a magnetoplasma, are derived. The magnetohydrodynamic limit of the pair plasma is investigated. It is shown that the microscopic spin properties of the electrons and positrons can lead to interesting macroscopic and collective effects in strongly magnetized plasmas. In particular, it is found that new Alfvenic solitary structures, governed by a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation, are allowed in such plasmas. These solitary structures vanish if the quantum spin effects are neglected. Our results should be of relevance for astrophysical plasmas, e.g. in pulsar magnetospheres.