Electromagnetic Instability in Interpenetrating Electron–Ion Plasmas with Generalized Distribution Functions

Abstract

The electromagnetic instability associated with plasma waves propagating transverse to a uniform magnetic field, B0, is studied for interpenetrating plasmas with generalized distribution functions, based on the linearized Vlasov–Maxwell equations. The plasma waves can no longer be separated into the ordinary and extraordinary modes, owing to the different densities, temperatures, and drift velocities of two plasma streams. It is found, as in the case of two bi-Maxwellian counterstreaming plasmas, that the instability can occur in rather low-β plasmas.