The aperiodic firehose instability of counter-beaming electrons in space plasmas

Context. Recent studies have revealed new unstable regimes of the counter-beaming electrons specific to hot and dilute plasmas from astrophysical scenarios: An aperiodic firehose-like instability is induced for highly oblique angles of propagation relative to the magnetic field, resembling the fast growing and aperiodic mode triggered by the temperature anisotropy T∥ > T⊥ (where ∥,⊥ denote directions relative to the magnetic field). Aims. The counter-beaming electron firehose instability is investigated here for space plasma conditions, that includes not only a specific plasma parameterization but, in particular, the influence of an embedding background plasma of electrons and ions (protons). Methods. Fundamental plasma kinetic theory is applied to prescribe the unstable regimes, and characterize the wave-number dispersion of the growth rates, and differentiate from the regimes of interplay with other instabilities. We also use numerical particle-in-cell simulations to confirm the instability of these aperiodic modes, and their effects on the relaxation of counter-beaming electrons. Results. Linear theory predicts a systematic inhibition of the (counter-)beaming electron firehose instability (BEFI), by reducing the growth rates and the range of unstable wave-number with increasing the relative density of the background electrons. To obtain finite and reasonably high values of the growth rate, the (relative) beam speed does not need to be very high (just comparable to the thermal speed), but the (counter-)beams must be dense enough, with a relative density at least 15-20% of the total density. Quantified in terms of the beam speed and the beta parameter the plasma parametric conditions favorable to this instability are also markedly reduced under the influence of background electrons. Numerical simulations confirm not only that BEFI can be excited in the presence of background electrons, but also the inhibiting effect of this population, especially when this is cooler. In the regimes of transition to electrostatic (ES) instabilities, BEFI is still robust enough to develop as a secondary instability, after the relaxation of beams under a quick interaction with ES fluctuations. Conclusions. To the features presented in previous studies, we can add that BEFI resembles the properties of solar wind firehose heat-flux instability triggered along the magnetic field by the anti-sunward electron strahl. However, BEFI is driven by a double (counterbeaming) electron strahl, and develops at highly oblique angles, which makes it potentially effective in the regularization and relaxation of the electron counter-beams observed in expanding coronal loops (with closed magnetic field topology) and in interplanetary shocks.

Jaar van publicatie:2023

Toegankelijkheid:Open