title: Dynamics and instability of electron phase-space tubes.
abstract: Two-dimensional simulations of beam-driven turbulence in the auroral ionosphere have shown the formation and instability of phase-space tubes. These tubes are a generalization of electron phase-space holes in a one-dimensional plasma. In a strongly magnetized plasma, such tubes vibrate at frequencies below the bounce frequency of the trapping potential. A theory for these vibrations yields quantitative agreement with kinetic simulations. Furthermore, the theory predicts that the vibrations can become unstable when resonantly coupled to electrostatic whistlers-also in agreement with simulations.
authors.affiliation: CIPS, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0390, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perez