Non-local drift instability of current-carrying plasma with temperature inhomogeneities

Abstract

The current-driven (CD) drift instability of a collisionless plasma with both electron and ion temperature inhomogeneities in a sheared magnetic field is investigated. It is found that the CD mode can become unstable with the universal mode is stable, and that the positive ion temperature gradient affects the stability by suppression (or reduction) of convective damping through magnetic shear. The resulting particle and heat fluxes due to the CD mode are also obtained.