Ion velocity shear‐induced drift wave and momentum transport in non‐Maxwellian magnetoplasma flows

Abstract

AbstractWe have investigated the diamagnetic flow in a non‐uniform partially ionized plasma with non‐Maxwellian electron population to explain the dynamics of ion velocity shear‐induced low‐frequency drift mode and associated instabilities. The dispersion relations are found, and instability threshold conditions are pointed out along with ion‐parallel momentum transport due to drift motion with relative phase shift of fluctuating quantities in a non‐conservative system. The real frequencies and instability growth rates are studied numerically and illustrated for typical space and laboratory plasmas. This study should be useful in understanding some aspects of low‐frequency time‐delayed perturbations with sheared flow leading to drift instabilities and cross‐field parallel ion momentum transport in nonuniform magnetoplasmas containing a non‐Maxwellian electron population.