Electron firehose instability: Kinetic linear theory and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations

Details Electron firehose instability: Kinetic linear theory and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations Electron firehose instability: Kinetic linear theory and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations

Jul 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jgra..11307107c&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue A7, CiteID A07107

Physics

Plasma Physics

7

Space Plasma Physics: Kinetic Waves And Instabilities, Space Plasma Physics: Wave/Particle Interactions (2483, 6984), Magnetospheric Physics: Numerical Modeling, Space Plasma Physics: Nonlinear Phenomena (4400, 6944), Space Plasma Physics: Mathematical And Numerical Techniques (0500, 3200)

Scientific paper

The kinetic electron firehose instability (EFI) is thought to be a crucial mechanism for constraining the observed electron anisotropy in expanding astrophysical plasmas, such as the solar wind. The EFI arises in a bi-Maxwellian plasma when the parallel temperature is greater than the perpendicular one, and its effect is to reduce anisotropy. We study this mechanism via kinetic linear theory, extending and refining previous results, and by new two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with physical mass ratio. The results of PIC simulations show under which conditions the EFI can indeed be regarded as a constraint for electron distribution function. The detailed electron physics near marginal stability condition is discussed, with emphasis on the competition between growing and damping modes and on wave patterns formed at the nonlinear stage. The results also suggest an observational signature that the EFI has operated, namely the appearance of low-frequency, quasiperpendicular whistler/electron-cyclotron waves.

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