Alfvén waves propagation in homogeneous and dusty astrophysical plasmas Original Research Article

Astrophysical plasma coexist with dust particles in many situations. These particles are charged either negatively or positively depending on their surrounding plasma environments. This system of such charged dust, electrons, and ions forms a so-called dusty plasma. We discuss the effects of the dust particles on the propagation and absorption of the Alfvén waves in (i) stellar winds and (ii) in star formation regions. In both cases, we have shown the importance of a strong damping of Alfvén waves due to the dust and the consequences for wind acceleration and the changes in the Jeans length related to the star formation process.