Theory of semicollisional kinetic Alfven modes in sheared magnetic fields

Abstract

The spectra of the semicollisional kinetic Alfven modes in a sheared slab geometry are investigated, including the effects of finite ion Larmor radius and diamagnetic drift frequencies. The eigenfrequencies of the damped modes are derived analytically via asymptotic analyses. In particular, as one reduces the resistivity, we find that, due to finite ion Larmor radius effects, the damped mode frequencies asymptotically approach finite real values corresponding to the end points of the kinetic Alfven continuum.