Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2005 / iii / Paper 75 / 1 / 3 / Solution

Solving the polarization quadratic gives all four signed roots:A sign-independent description is the pair of positive frequency magnitudesFor wavelengths long compared with the ion skin depth, $k{d}_i\ll 1$, both magnitudes approach $|k_{\parallel }|v_A$. The Hall correction is then small and the usual Alfvén wave dispersion ${\omega }^2=k_{\parallel }^2{v}_A^2$ is recovered. In an incompressible system the two transverse polarizations include the shear and pseudo-Alfvén wave sectors; away from this limit Hall coupling selects circular helicity combinations. A small parallel wavenumber alone does not remove the relative Hall splitting: the expansion parameter is the full $k{d}_i$.