Electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability caused by a nonuniform electric field perpendicular to the external magnetic field
- 1 March 1985
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Fluids
- Vol. 28 (3) , 761-763
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.865096
Abstract
A new mechanism that can destabilize kinetic ion‐cyclotron waves in the presence of a nonuniform electric field perpendicular to the uniform ambient magnetic field is given. In the absence of the electric field, the mode energy is positive, while in the presence of a uniform electric field the mode energy could be negative. However, when the electric field is nonuniform, it is possible for a finite region to be a negative wave energy surrounded by regions of positive wave energy. A nonlocal wave packet couples the two regions so that a flow of energy from the region of negative wave energy to the region of positive wave energy will cause the mode to brow. This gives rise to the instability.Keywords
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