Analysis of the nature and growth of electrothermal waves

Abstract

Using a linear theory the dispersion relation of electrothermal waves in a seeded, partially ionized gas is derived. Two modes appear, one of which is always damped, while the other is unstable in certain plasma situations. This is the ionization instability and the growth rate has been calculated as a function of the steady state electron temperature, the angle between the steady state current density and the wave vector, the Hall parameter, and the instability wavelength.