Low frequency drift instabilities in a dusty plasma

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Abstract
Low frequency drift instabilities are investigated in a dusty magnetized plasma with negatively charged grains in which locally there is an electron density gradient which is opposite in sign to a dust density gradient. Frequencies less than the ion gyrofrequency but much larger than the dust gyrofrequency are considered. Two different equilibria are considered that are characterized by ρd≶Lnd, where ρd is the dust gyroradius and Lnd is the dust density scale length. Instabilities analogous to the universal instability and to the lower‐hybrid‐drift instability (with the lower‐hybrid frequency in this case associated with the dust) are investigated. Possible applications to dusty space plasmas such as the spoke regions of Saturn’s B‐ring are discussed.

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