Dispersive properties of a magnetized plasma with a field-aligned drift and inhomogeneous transverse flow

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871656· OSTI ID:286359

Gavrishchaka, V; Koepke, M E ^[1]; Ganguli, G ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6315 (United States)
2. Code 6794, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States)

Electrostatic fluctuations driven by the combination of a magnetic-field-aligned electron current and a localized transverse electric field are investigated. Characteristic parameters, such as scale length and magnitude of the sheared {ital E}{times}{ital B} velocity, magnitude of the magnetic-field-aligned current, and temperature ratio {tau}{equivalent_to}{ital T}{sub {ital i}}/{ital T}{sub {ital e}} are varied to include conditions associated with electrostatic waves driven entirely by magnetic-field-aligned current, driven entirely by transverse electric field, and driven by a combination of magnetic-field-aligned current and transverse electric field. It is shown that, in contrast to the homogeneous case of current-driven modes, the modes in the presence of a transverse-velocity shear can be unstable in a wider range of temperature ratio {tau} and they are broadband in frequency. Using a simplified model, numerical solutions of the nonlocal dispersion relation, and physical arguments, cases of stabilization and destabilization due to the inhomogeneous energy-density driven instability mechanism are studied for the ion-cyclotron, ion-acoustic and drift modes. The response of the plasma to transverse-velocity shear can be categorized as reactive or dissipative and conditions corresponding to the predominance of either one are evaluated. Possible applications of these results to space and laboratory plasma are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 286359
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 3; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DRIFT INSTABILITY
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ION ACOUSTIC WAVES
ION CYCLOTRON WAVES
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA WAVES