Electrostatic Ion-cyclotron Wave Excitation by a Gyrating Ion Beam in a Magnetized Plasma Containing Heavy Positive Ions

Abstract

In the present paper, we have developed a theoretical model of cylindrical magnetized plasma column consisting of electrons, ions & heavy positive ion species. A gyrating ion beam of potassium having radius ~1.5 cm and energy 10eV is launched through one end of the cylinder parallel to the static magnetic field and the electrostatic ion cyclotron wave is assumed to propagate nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field. The presence of heavy positive ions in the collisionless magnetized plasma decreases the critical drift for the excitation of EIC waves and hence the injected beam drives the electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) waves to instability through Cerenkov interaction. Therefore, the plasma is observed to contains two excited EIC wave modes; a (light positive) ion mode and a (heavy positive) ion mode. The frequencies and growth rates for both the positive unstable modes are worked out using fluid theory for the typical existing experimental parameters which are found to increase with the increase in ion beam energy and beam density. It is also observed that the unstable wave frequency and growth rate for both the modes increases with the increase in relative ion concentration of and heavy positive ions respectively. Magnetic field is also one of the important factors which influence the plasma instabilities appreciably. As the magnetic field increases, the frequency of both the ion modes increases linearly.