title: Whistler instability in an electron-magnetohydrodynamic spheromak.
abstract: A three-dimensional magnetic vortex, propagating in the whistler mode, has been produced in a laboratory plasma. Its magnetic energy is converted into electron kinetic energy. Non-Maxwellian electron distributions are formed which give rise to kinetic whistler instabilities. The propagating vortex radiates whistler modes along the ambient magnetic field. A new instability mechanism is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Stenzel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Strohmaier