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Title: Low-frequency instabilities of collisionless plasma and the 16-moment approximation

Journal Article · · Plasma Physics Reports
;  [1]
  1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation (Russian Federation)

Using the 16-moment equations that take into account heat fluxes in anisotropic collisionless plasma, the properties of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities are investigated. For all instabilities occurring in the MHD approach (the normal incompressible firehose instability, the second compressible almost longitudinal firehose instability, and the almost transverse mirror instability of slow magnetosonic modes, as well as thermal instability caused by the heat flux directed along the magnetic field), their kinetic analogs are considered. The kinetic dispersion relation in the low-frequency range in the vicinity of the ion thermal velocity is analyzed. The flow of plasma ions along the magnetic field is taken into account. The thresholds and instability growth rates obtained in the MHD and kinetic approaches are found to be in good agreement. This indicates that the 16-moment MHD equations adequately describe the dynamics of collisionless plasma.

OSTI ID:
22314753
Journal Information:
Plasma Physics Reports, Vol. 39, Issue 12; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; http://www.springer-ny.com; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-780X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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