Effect of relativistically degenerate electrons on linear and nonlinear structures in ion temperature gradient driven pure drift mode

Abstract Low frequency, electrostatic, pure drift mode is investigated in dense magnetized electron-ion plasma in the presence of relativistically degenerate electrons using quantum magnetohydrodynamic model (QMHD). Ions are considered as warm classical particles. Inhomogeneities in background ion density, ion temperature and external magnetic field are taken into account. In the linear regime, dispersion relation is obtained and plotted for both non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic regimes. Parametric study shows that for both non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic cases, growth rate of the wave increases by increasing, η i , which is the ratio of background ion temperature to density. In the nonlinear case, solitary solutions are obtained by using the functional variable method. Graphical illustrations are used to show the effect of relativistically degenerate electrons and other parameters like electron and ion number densities, magnetic field and ion temperature on nonlinear structures in both non relativistic and relativistic regimes. This work may be helpful to understand low frequency phenomena in dense inhomogeneous plasmas like neutron stars, white dwarfs and next generation lasers.