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Kinematic and temperature restrictions on the electron cyclotron maser instability
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
Abstract
The ranges of temperature T, harmonic number s and wave propagation angle θ in which the loss-cone-driven electron cyclotron instability can exist are found to be limited by opposing contributions to the growth rate from adjacent harmonics. For waves with refractive index n ⋍ 1 it is found that instability is possible only if T and s satisfy saT ≲ C with a = 2 − 2·5 and where the constant C is determined by θ and the form of the distribution function. It is argued that the corresponding restrictions for waves with very large or very small n are less severe. Instability is found to be forbidden for waves propagating outside a range |θ − 90°| < φ(s), except if θ ⋍ 0, where π(s) is independent of temperature and sin2φ(s) ⋍ s−1; this restriction limits the range of potentially unstable frequencies at a given harmonic.
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