Laboratory Investigation of Waves Driven by Inhomogeneity in the Magnetic-Field-Aligned Ion Flow

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

This project will utilize laboratory plasma experiments to investigate plasma instabilities that are likely to be of importance to magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling at high latitudes. The experiments will be performed using the West Virginia University's Q machine, which was specifically designed to generate conditions that would be relevant to space plasmas. Three instability mechanisms will be studied. The first mechanism derives the necessary free energy from the electron current perpendicular to the magnetic field. The second mechanism involves the filamentation of parallel currents, and the third mechanism centers on the role of parallel velocity shears.