Theoretical Prediction of Asymmetric Instability of Drift Kinetic Alfven Waves in Anisotropic Plasmas

The asymmetric instability of drift kinetic Alfvén waves (DKAWs) is analyzed to study the interplay between the density inhomogeneity and the temperature anisotropy, including the wave‐particle interaction and finite ion Larmor radius effects. The asymmetric behavior arises due to the opposite diamagnetic drifts of electrons and ions and quantifies the contribution of electron drift waves and ion drift waves in altering the dispersion characteristic of DKAWs. It is shown that the coupling of drift waves with kinetic Alfvén waves leads to the generation of three different frequency (i.e., higher, intermediate, and lower) modes of DKAWs. The comparison of their propagation characteristics and stability mechanisms applicable to a wide range of plasma parameters is provided. The analytical dispersion relation can be used as an improved theoretical tool for identifying the existence of DKAWs and their source region in the multisatellite observations, especially near the reconnection X‐line.