Transverse Kelvin-Helmholtz instability with parallel electron dynamics and Coulomb collisions

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA08p08813· OSTI ID:6238118

Satyanarayana, P; Lee, Y C; Huba, J D

Electron parallel dynamics and Coulomb collisions are included in the analysis of the transverse Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The electrons are treated kinetically while the ions are treated in the fluid limit. It is shown that in the collisionless case, for an imhomogeneous velocity profile V(x) = V/sub 0/ tanh (x/L) the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is stable for k/sub z//k/sub y/>(V/sub 0//L..omega../sub l//sub h/)K/sub y/L (2(1-k/sub y//sup 2/L/sup 2/))/sup 1/2/ in the limit ..omega..-k/sub y/V/sub 0/>>k/sub z/v/sub e/. Here V/sub 0/ is the flow velocity, L is the scale length of the velocity shear layer, k/sub z/ and k/sub y/ are the parallel and perpendicular wave numbers, respectively, ..omega../sub l//sub h/ = (..cap omega../sub e/..cap omega../sub i/)/sup 1/2/, and v/sub e/ is the electron thermal velocity. The stabilization of the mode is shown to be caused by the compressional energy given to the electrons parallel to B. In the collisional limit, Coulomb collisions are shown to increase the unstable k/sub z/ domain becasue they inhibit the electron motion parallel to B. Applications to the high-latitude ionosphere are discussed. Copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

• Research Organization: Geophysical and Plasma Dynamics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 6238118
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 92:A8; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAL ZONES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES