Gyrokinetic theory of electrostatic lower-hybrid drift instabilities in a current sheet with guide field

Journal Article · Thu May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4875720· OSTI ID:22252888

Chen, L. ^[1]; Wang, Z.; Wang, X. Y.; Lin, Y. ^[2]

---

1. Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation and Department of Physics, ZheJiang University, Hang Zhou, ZheJiang 310058 (China)
2. Department of Physics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (United States)

A kinetic electrostatic eigenvalue equation for the lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI) in a thin Harris current sheet with a guide field is derived based on the gyrokinetic electron and fully kinetic ion(GeFi) description. Three-dimensional nonlocal analyses are carried out to investigate the influence of a guide field on the stabilization of the LHDI by finite parallel wavenumber, k{sub ∥}. Detailed stability properties are first analyzed locally, and then as a nonlocal eigenvalue problem. Our results indicate that at large equilibrium drift velocities, the LHDI is further destabilized by finite k{sub ∥} in the short-wavelength domain. This is demonstrated in a local stability analysis and confirmed by the peak in the eigenfunction amplitude. We find the most unstable modes localized at the current sheet edges, and our results agree well with simulations employing the GeFi code developed by Lin et al. [Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 47, 657 (2005); Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 53, 054013 (2011)].

• OSTI ID: 22252888
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 21; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
AMPLITUDES
CURRENTS
DRIFT INSTABILITY
EIGENFUNCTIONS
EIGENVALUES
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
IONS
LOWER HYBRID CURRENT DRIVE
LOWER HYBRID HEATING
PEAKS
PLASMA
SIMULATION
STABILITY
STABILIZATION
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS