Mirror instability in a plasma with cold gyrating dust particles

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the linear stability of a magnetized dusty plasma with anisotropic dust motion, revealing conditions under which mirror instability occurs, which impacts dust destruction in shock-processed interstellar environments.

Contribution

It introduces a linear stability analysis of a dusty plasma with anisotropic dust motion, highlighting the mirror instability in shock-compressed space plasmas.

Findings

Mirror instability occurs in oblique low-frequency MHD waves.

Implications for nonthermal dust destruction behind shock fronts.

Analysis relevant to interstellar medium conditions.

Abstract

In this work linear stability analysis of a magnetized dusty plasma with an anisotropic dust component having transversal motions much stronger than motions parallel to the external magnetic field, and isotropic light plasma components is described. Such a situation presumably establishes in a shock compressed space dusty plasma downstream the shock front. Oblique low-frequency magneto-hydrodynamic waves ($\omega\ll \omega_{cd}$, $\omega_{cd}$ being the dust cyclotron frequency) are shown to be undergone to the mirror instability. Consequences for nonthermal dust destruction behind shock fronts in the interstellar medium are discussed.