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RELATIVISTIC CYCLOTRON INSTABILITY IN ANISOTROPIC PLASMAS

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago (Chile)
  2. Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile)
A sufficiently large temperature anisotropy can sometimes drive various types of electromagnetic plasma micro-instabilities, which can play an important role in the dynamics of relativistic pair plasmas in space, astrophysics, and laboratory environments. Here, we provide a detailed description of the cyclotron instability of parallel propagating electromagnetic waves in relativistic pair plasmas on the basis of a relativistic anisotropic distribution function. Using plasma kinetic theory and particle-in-cell simulations, we study the influence of the relativistic temperature and the temperature anisotropy on the collective and noncollective modes of these plasmas. Growth rates and dispersion curves from the linear theory show a good agreement with simulations results.
OSTI ID:
22667196
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 832; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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