Electromagnetic Electron Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability
ORAL
Abstract
On electron kinetic scales, ions and electrons decouple, and electron velocity shear on electron inertial length $sim d_e$ can trigger electromagnetic (EM) electron Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (EKHI). In this paper, we present an analytic study of EM EKHI in an inviscid collisionless plasma with a step-function electron shear flow. We show that in incompressible collisionless plasma the ideal electron frozen-in condition $mathbf{E} + mathbf{v}_e imes mathbf{B}/c = 0$ must be broken for the EM EKHI to occur. In a step-function electron shear flow, the ideal electron frozen-in condition is replaced by magnetic flux conservation, i.e., $
*H. C. acknowledge partial support by NSF CAREER 2144324 and a Heliophysics Career award No. 80NSSC19K1106. The authors acknowledge the partial support of an NSF EPSCoR RII-Track-1 Cooperative Agreement OIA-1655280.
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Publication: H. Che and G. P. Zank, "Electromagnetic Electron Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability", Physics of Plasma 30, 062110, 2023
Presenters
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Haihong Che
- University of Alabama in Huntsville