Abstract
Local dispersion relations for resistive drift mode in a nonuniform magnetize plasma are derived for thermal and non-thermal distribution of electrons. The coupled mode equations are obtained by using Braginskii's transport equations for ions and electrons with thermal as well as non-thermal (Cairns and kappa) distribution for electrons. The dispersion relations are then analyzed both analytically as well as numerically for all distributions. It is found that growth rate is highest for Maxwellian, Intermediate for kappa and lowest for Cairns distribution. It has been found that increasing values of Γ (which estimate population of non-thermal electrons) for Cairn distributed electrons are able to stabilize the mode. Furthermore, increasing the values of κ (which is spectral index) for the kappa distributed electrons have destabilizing effects on the mode. The result might be useful in the interpretation of electromagnetic fluctuations in nonuniform magneto-plasma in which resistivity is a key element in calculation of drift instabilities in the presence of thermal or nonthermal electron distributions, such systems are extensively observed in laboratory as well as space plasma.
Highlights
The resistive drift instability in potential approximation was described by Moiseev and Sagdeev [1]
Inclusion of finite resistivity in the model is the key element in calculations of resistive drift instability, if the electrons are free to move along magnetic field to cancel the charge separation, there will be stable drift wave
Let us assume a nonuniform plasma composed of electrons and ions, placed in nonuniform externally applied magnetic field B along z-direction in Cartesian coordinate system
Summary
The resistive drift instability in potential approximation was described by Moiseev and Sagdeev [1]. Cairns et al [15] proposed highly non-Maxwellian distribution profile, which has been observed to exist in space plasma [16, 17, 18]. There is another commonly employed distribution profile is kappa distribution [14], characterized by the parameter k. Cairns et al [15] demonstrated that the nature of ion-acoustic solitary structures could change due to presence of non-Maxwellian electron distribution and camp up with an explanation of structures observed by the Freja and Viking satellites [19, 20].
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