Generation of localized density perturbations by shear Alfven waves

It is shown that the ponderomotive force of finite amplitude shear (or kinetic) Alfven waves can generate magnetic field-aligned quasistationary density humps as well as dips. The results can have relevance to the shear Alfven wave induced localized density perturbations that have been recently found in the Large Plasma Device at the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as to those observed by spacecrafts in the Earth's auroral and magnetospheric plasmas. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(00)02206-0].