Eur. Phys. J. D 63, 129-133 (2011)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2011-20079-2

Regular Article

Modulation and suppression of weak Cotton-Mouton effect by Faraday rotation

¹ Space Research Institute, Profsoyuznaya St. 82/34, Moscow 117997, Russia
² Institute of Physics, Maritime University of Szczecin, 1-2 Waly Chrobrego, 70-500 Szczecin, Poland

^a e-mail: j.chrzanowski@am.szczecin.pl

Received: 31 January 2011
Published online: 17 May 2011

Abstract

Polarization of electromagnetic waves in magnetized plasma is studied in conditions, when Cotton-Mouton effect is weak enough as compared with Faraday one. Evolution of polarization state is described by new mathematical approach, namely, by angular variables technique (AVT) which describes evolution of the angular parameters of polarization ellipse in magnetized plasma. The method of consequent approximations is applied, which uses the ratio (Ω_⊥/Ω₃) of Cotton-Mouton and Faraday terms, as a small parameter of a problem and allows obtaining simple analytical expressions for azimuthal and ellipticity angles in frame of the first and second approximations. The phenomenon of ellipticity modulation and suppression by Faraday rotation is revealed, which consists in ellipticity decreasing for stronger Faraday rotation, what makes polarization closer to linear one. Numerical illustration of the phenomenon are presented. It is shown that account of the second-order terms of the method of consequent approximation provides an accuracy better than 1% even in conditions, when small parameter Ω_⊥/Ω₃ achieves the value 1/4.