Abstract
The nonlinear development of the low‐frequency transverse‐drift instability is calculated. Although quasi‐linear theory might be expected to be valid for such a mode, wave scattering is required to saturate the mode spectrum. The effect of the fully developed instability is a coordinate displacement, and a shift in z. If applied to the radiation belts, this instability would predict auroral bombardment localized in radius, occurring in the lower density large‐gradient regions of the particle distribution.

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