Drift mirror instability

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The drift mirror instability (Hasegava, 1969) of a high beta plasma is driven by anisotropic plasma pressure. Its frequency is given by the diamagnetic drift frequency. For the magnetospheric phenomena, like compressional Pc 5 pulsations, one has to consider also:

• curvature of the magnetic field lines
  • reduces the instability threshold (e.g., Woch et al., 1990)
• coupling between drift mirror instability and the shear Alfvén wave

See Chen and Hasegava (1991) for more information.

References

• Chen, L. and A. Hasegava, Kinetic theory of geomagnetic pulsations 1. Internal exitations by energetic particles, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 1503-1512, 1991.
• Hasegava, A., Drift mirror instability in the magnetosphere, Phys. Fluids, 12, 2642-, 1969.
• Woch, J., G. Kremser, and A. Korth, A comprehensive investigation of compressional ULF waves observed in the ring current, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 15113-15132, 1990.

See also:

• Space Physics Text Book of Oulu