The nonlinear propagation of low-frequency waves in a strongly coupled dusty plasma medium is studied theoretically in the framework of the phenomenological generalized hydrodynamic (GH) model. A set of simplified model nonlinear equations are derived from the original nonlinear integrodifferential form of the GH model by employing an appropriate physical ansatz. Using standard perturbation techniques characteristic evolution equations for finite small amplitude waves are then obtained in various propagation regimes. The influence of viscoelastic properties arising from dust correlation contributions on the nature of nonlinear solutions is discussed. The modulational stability of dust acoustic waves to parallel perturbation is also examined and it is shown that dust compressibility contributions influenced by the Coulomb coupling effects introduce significant modification in the threshold and range of the instability domain.

• Received 11 June 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.81.036407