Sixteen-moment approximation for a collisionless space plasma: Waves and instabilities

Journal Article · Sun Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Plasma Physics Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X09110063· OSTI ID:21443680

Kuznetsov, V D ^[1]; Dzhalilov, N S ^[2]

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1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation (Russian Federation)
2. Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Shemakha Astrophysical Observatory (Azerbaijan)

A study is carried out of waves and instabilities in an anisotropic collisionless plasma. In a strongly magnetized plasma, the velocity distributions along and across the magnetic field lines are different, which results in anisotropy of the total pressure and gives rise to an anisotropic heat flux. The fluid description of the plasma is based on the 16-moment integral transport equations, which are integral equations obtained from the Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic equation. For small incompressible perturbations in a homogeneous plasma, the general dispersion relation implies that there are not only firehose modes, but also three additional modes, and that all four wave modes interact with each other if a heat flux is present. Heat fluxes do not change the properties of conventional firehose modes. The conditions for the onset of instabilities are investigated as functions of the parameters of the problems. Qualitative estimates for conditions typical of the solar corona are presented.

• OSTI ID: 21443680
• Journal Information: Plasma Physics Reports, Journal Name: Plasma Physics Reports Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 35; ISSN PPHREM; ISSN 1063-780X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANISOTROPY
APPROXIMATIONS
ATMOSPHERES
CALCULATION METHODS
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DISTRIBUTION
EQUATIONS
HEAT FLUX
HOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
INSTABILITY
INTEGRAL EQUATIONS
KINETIC EQUATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
SOLAR CORONA
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE
TRANSPORT THEORY