Quasilinear evolution of the ion cyclotron beam-anisotropy instability in a current carrying plasma

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The evolution of particle velocity moments and wave spectra during the quasilinear saturation of the proton beam-anisotropy instability in a current carrying plasma is studied. For initial plasma moments characteristic of the near-Earth plasma sheet boundary layer, it is found that the saturation of the ion beam-anisotropy instability drives a field-aligned current, which self-consistently excites a kink-like mode. The driven current allows the wave fields of current driven mode to grow to amplitudes comparable to that of the anisotropy instability and facilitates more rapid isotropization of the unstable anisotropic beam components and saturation of the beam-anisotropy instability. This work has general relevance to the study of field-aligned instabilities in plasmas where the excited waves carry a net momentum density away from the source of instability.
Keywords