Shear-flow-driven ion cyclotron and ion sound-drift instabilities of cylindrical inhomogeneous plasma

The effects of the shear flow along the magnetic field on the development of the ion cyclotron, ion sound, and drift instabilities in the radially inhomogeneous cylindrical plasma are studied on the ground of a kinetic approach. It is shown that flow shear not only modifies the frequencies and growth rates of known current driven electrostatic ion cyclotron, ion sound, and drift instabilities, but is the source of the development of specific shear-flow-driven ion cyclotron, ion sound, and drift instabilities. These instabilities are excited at the levels of current along the ambient magnetic field which is below the critical value for the development of the modified by flow shear current driven ion cyclotron, ion sound, and drift instabilities. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.