Drift waves
A TYPE OF PRESSURE DRIVEN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC INSTABILITY IN PLASMA PHYSICS
Drift wave instability; Drift-wave instability; Drift instability; Drift wave
In plasma physics, a drift wave is a type of collective excitation that is driven by a pressure gradient within a magnetised plasma, which can be destabilised by differences between ion and electron motion (then known as drift-wave instability or drift instability). The drift wave typically propagates across the pressure gradient and is perpendicular to the magnetic field.