Alfvén wave

noun

a type of oscillation of plasma particles, consisting of transverse waves propagating along the magnetic field lines in a plasma.

Origin of Alfvén wave

named after (Hannes O. G.) Alfvén

Also called magnetohydromagnetic wave.

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British Dictionary definitions for alfven wave

Alfvén wave

noun

a generally transverse magnetohydrodynamic wave that is propagated in a plasma

Word Origin for Alfvén wave

C20: after Hannes Olaf Gösta Alfvén (1908–95), Swedish physicist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012