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A dielectric tensor for a uniform magnetoplasma with a generalized Lorentzian distribution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

R. L. Mace
R. L. Mace
Affiliation:
Plasma Physics Research Institute, Department of Physics, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Abstract

It is demonstrated that the dielectric tensor for a non-relativistic magnetized plasma whose particle velocity distributions can be modelled by isotropic kappa, or generalized Lorentzian, distributions admits an expression similar to that obtained by Trubnikov for a relativistic plasma. The kappa distribution is a useful distribution for modelling space plasmas containing significant numbers of superthermal particles, i.e. those that have energies in excess of the thermal energy. The dielectric tensor is valid for arbitrary wavevectors, and is shown to reproduce the known limiting case of wave propagation parallel to the magnetic field. Even in this limiting case, the results obtained represent a generalization of previous results to arbitrary real values of the index K, the parameter that shapes the superthermal tail on the distribution. The expression for the dielectric tensor might be useful as a starting point for numerical studies of waves and instabilities in plasmas containing superthermal particles.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 55 , Issue 3 , June 1996 , pp. 415 - 429
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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