Alfven waves and drift compressional modes in multispecies plasmas

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA085iA04p01736· OSTI ID:5449443

Patel, V L; Migliuolo, S

The stability of a multispecies plasma under magnetospheric storm conditions is investigated. The dynamics of the impurity ions are incorporated in the hot plasma component response, since the response (to perturbations) of the cold component is totally dominated by the electrons. The coupling between drift compressional and shear Alfven modes is studied in weak and strong coupling limits, the coupling being weakened when a finite fraction of the hot ions belongs to the heavy species. The characteristic growth rates of the mirror instablity, modified by the presence of heavy impurity ions, are determined. For the case of strong coupling, the dominant unstable mode is a compressional Alfven oscillation, driven by the finite density gradient of the plasma. The main effect of the impurity ions, in this case, is to stabilize the mode through their inertia. The instability is found to be self-limiting with increasing plasma pressure, and the asymptotic normalized growth rate is determined.

• Research Organization: University of Denver, Department of Physics, Denver, Colorado 80208
• OSTI ID: 5449443
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 85:A4; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITY
EQUATIONS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOSPHERE
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA DRIFT
STABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES