Linear analysis of whistler mode instability in anisotropic q-nonextensive distributed plasmas: a numerical approach

Abstract

Abstract Due to the occurrence of nonextensive particle distributions in different space plasma environments, an analytical and numerical studies of electron temperature anisotropy-driven whistler instability (WI) in the nonextensive magnetized plasma are performed within the framework of kinetic theory for both superextensive (q < 1) and subextensive (q > 1) cases. By taking the nonextensive character of electrons into account (distinguished to nearly all existing studies), the dispersion relation for WI is derived and solved numerically to examine the characteristics of growth rate against the allowed domain of wave number. The effect of various physical parameters such as electron plasma beta β ∥ e ( q ) = 2 5 q − 3 β ∥ e ( M ) , temperature anisotropy (Λ e ), and nonextensivity (q) on the growth rate and frequency of whistler mode are investigated. The growth rate of WI displays a significant dependence on these parameters, i.e. the growth rate increases by taking smaller values of nonextensive parameter q and for the large initial electron plasma beta and temperature anisotropy magnitudes. It is observed that the variation in the frequency of whistler mode is more sensitive to the temperature anisotropy (Λ e ) compared with other physical parameters, i.e. plasma beta and nonextensivity. The present findings also validate the large impact of electron temperature anisotropy on altering the dispersion properties of whistler mode. A detailed comparison of parametric dependence of the growth rate of WI for both superextensive and subextensive plasmas is also presented. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of whistler mode instability in anisotropic q-nonextensive and bi-Maxwellian plasmas is also the part of our present findings.