Stability of Electron Cyclotron Waves in the Presence of Strong Electron Cyclotron Heating

摘要

This report examines the stability of the O-mode for perpendicular propagation when a certain fraction of the electrons form a hot electron ring. Also considered is the case of a sharp ring simpler to analyze and a diffuse ring which may occur under conditions of strong electron cyclotron heating. In both cases the parallel distribution of velocities is assumed to be Maxwellian. It was discovered that both distributions can be unstable to the O-mode. For the diffuse ring an estimate is made of the temperature of the background thermal plasma required to stabilize the instability. (ERA citation 11:012440)