Whistler instability in an electron-magnetohydrodynamic spheromak.
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.
Stenzel
R L
RL
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, USA.
Urrutia
J M
JM
Strohmaier
K D
KD