Interaction Models, Negative Energy Waves, and Electrostatic Instabilities

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Abstract
It has been possible to introduce certain physical interpretations for the various contributions which a given species may make to the total dispersion relation for electrostatic instabilities of an anisotropic magnetized plasma. These interpretations are helpful in developing one's physical intuition regarding such instabilities. One appropriate specialization is the use of a physical model of the interaction of a distribution of particles with an imposed wave for the case in which the wave is set up primarily by a species other than that which drives the instability. Conversely, when the cooperative nature of the driver species is dominant, it is natural to describe its properties in terms of negative energy waves. The discussion shows the connection between these viewpoints as special cases of our more general description.