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Electron-acoustic instability driven by a field-aligned hot electron beam

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

R. Bharuthram
Affiliation:
Department Physics, University of Durban-Westville, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, and Plasma Physics Research Institute, University of Natal, King George V Avenue, Durban 4001, South Africa

Abstract

Using kinetic theory, the electron-acoustic instability is investigated in a three-component plasma consisting of a hot electron beam and stationary cool electrons and ions. In the model considered here both the electrons and ions are magnetized, with the beam drift along the external magnetic field. The dependence of the growth rate on plasma parameters, such as electron-beam density, electron-beam speed, magnetic field strength and propagation angle, is studied. In addition, the effects of anisotropies in the velocity distributions of the hot electron beam and the cool electrons on the instability growth rate are examined.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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