Title: Parametric decay instabilities in an infinite, homogeneous, weakly anisotropic plasma
Abstract: The parametric decay of a transverse electromagnetic (em) wave with a frequency close to, but larger than, the electron plasma frequency is investigated for an infinite, homogeneous, weakly magnetoactive plasma. A two-component fluid description is employed, and the damping of the linear plasma waves is introduced phenomenologically to include both Landau and collisional damping. The transverse em wave will decay into a longitudinal electron plasma wave and an em ion-acoustic wave. Only the latter wave is assumed to be affected by the weak, constant magnetic field. The threshold expression for growth of electron plasma waves is equal to that of the isotropic plasma when the em ion-acoustic wave's direction of propagation lies inside a wide double cone whose axis is along the constant magnetic field. When the em ion-acoustic wave propagates outside this double cone, an additional factor, which depends directly upon the magnetic field, appears in the threshold expression. This factor can, under certain conditions, reduce the threshold for growth of electron plasma waves below that of the isotropic plasma.
Publication Year: 1976
Publication Date: 1976-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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