Nonlinear development of streaming instabilities in strongly magnetized plasma.
The nonlinear development of streaming instabilities in the current layers formed during magnetic reconnection with a guide field is explored. Theory and 3D particle-in-cell simulations reveal two distinct phases. First, the parallel Buneman instability grows and traps low velocity electrons. The remaining electrons then drive two forms of turbulence: the parallel electron-electron two-stream instability and the nearly perpendicular lower-hybrid instability. The high velocity electrons resonate with the turbulence and transfer momentum to the ions and low velocity electrons.
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IREAP, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
Drake
J F
JF
Swisdak
M
M
Yoon
P H
PH