The effect of weak collisions on ion-acoustic wave instabilities in a current-carrying plasma

Abstract

The effect of weak collisions on ion-acoustic wave instabifities in a plasma with large ratios of electron to ion temperatures is investigated. The critical current for instability is shown to be signfficantly reduced by collisions. At the critical current the instability first occurs at non-zero values of kλe. As kλe increases the collisional effects become less and less significant.