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Ion cyclotron instability in the solar wind

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Abstract

An ion cyclotron instability, arising because of the relative drift between the beam and the main components of the proton distribution function in the solar wind at 1 AU, is studied. The instability is excited in a bounded range of wave numbers provided the relative drift exceeds a certain minimum value called instability threshold. For \(\beta M = ({{8\pi NMT_\parallel M} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{8\pi NMT_\parallel M} {B_0^2 )}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {B_0^2 )}}\) ≳ 1, the instability threshold is smaller than or equal to the threshold of magnetosonic and Alfvén instabilities. The growth rates are enhanced by increasing relative drift and ratio of beam to main proton number density and by decreasing the wave numbers.

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  1. Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, 400 005, Colaba, Bombay, India

    G. S. Lakhina

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  1. G. S. Lakhina
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Lakhina, G.S. Ion cyclotron instability in the solar wind. Sol Phys 57, 467–473 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160118

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00160118

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