Nonlocal analysis of the lower-hybrid-drift instability in theta-pinch plasmas

Abstract
A nonlocal analysis of the lower‐hybrid‐drift instability is presented for theta‐pinch plasmas. For diffuse equilibrium profiles, nonlocal and local theories are shown to be in excellent agreement (with respect to maximum growth rate, corresponding l value, and radius of localization) for the fastest growing mode. The lower‐hybrid‐drift instability is also shown to provide a possible mechanism for predicting the wavelength and radius of localization of the flute perturbations observed experimentally in scylla 1‐B.