Quantifying shear-induced wave transformations in the solar wind

The possibility of velocity shear-induced linear transformations of different magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar wind is studied both analytically and numerically. A quantitative analysis of the wave transformation processes for all possible plasma-β regimes is performed. By applying the obtained criteria for effective wave coupling to the solar wind parameters, we show that velocity shearinduced linear transformations of Alfvén waves into magneto-acoustic waves could effectively take place for the relatively low-frequency Alfvén waves in the energy containing interval. The obtained results are in a good qualitative agreement with the observed features of density perturbations in the solar wind. Subject headings: solar wind: general, wave coupling On leave from the Georgian National Astrophysical Observatory, Kazbegi ave. 2 Tbilisi-0160, Georgia.