Using a direct variational technique involving elliptic Gaussian laser beam trial function, the combined effect of non-linearity and diffraction on wave propagation of optical beam in a homogeneous bulk Kerr-medium is presented. Particular emphasis is put on the variation of beam width and longitudinal phase delay with the distance of propagation. It is observed that no stationary self-trapping is possible. The regularized phase is also seen to be always negative.

Growth of a radially symmetrical ripple, superimposed on a Gaussian laser beam in collisional unmagnetised plasma is investigated. From numerical computation, it is observed that self-focusing of main beam as well as ripple determine the growth dynamics of ripple with the distance of propagation. The effect of growing ripple on excitation of ion acoustic wave (IAW) has also been studied.

Ion-acoustic solitons are investigated in the spatially inhomogeneous plasma having electrons-positrons and ions. The soliton characteristics are described by Korteweg-de Vries equation which has an additional term. The density and temperature of different species play an important role for the amplitude and width of the solitons. Numerical calculations show only the possibility of compressive solitons. Further, analytical results predict that the peak amplitude of soliton decreases with the decrease of density gradient. Soliton characteristics like peak amplitude and width are substantially different from those based on KdV theory for homogeneous plasmas