Interaction of lower hybrid wave fields with drift-cyclotron loss-cone instability

Abstract

The dispersion relation for the drift‐cyclotron loss‐cone mode in the presence of the lower hybrid wave is calculated using both electrostatic and finite β models. It is found that lower hybrid wave fields with frequency ω0 can stabilize the mode if ωlh<ω0<ω+, or ω0<ω−<ωlh, where ωlh = ωpi/(1+ω2pe/ω2ce)1/2, ω± = [±A+(A2+4ω2lh)1/2]/2, and A = ω2lhe/ωcik. If the plasma β is greater than a critical value βc, there is another stabilization region, namely, ω0≳δωlh, where δ is a numerical constant. Even though the stabilization effect is small in this region, the lower hybrid wave frequency for electron heating should be in this region in order to avoid enhancing the particle loss rate.