Ion cyclotron instabilities in finite beta mirror plasmas

A general dispersion relation for arbitrary propagation of electrostatic and electromagnetic waves in an infinite, collisionless, weakly inhomogeneous, anisotropic high beta plasma is derived. By taking into consideration the coupling between longitudinal and transverse waves the appropriate dispersion relations for the ion cyclotron instabilities with k/sub perpendicular/ much greater than k/sub z/ and T/sub i/ much greater than T/sub c/ are deduced and applied to mirror-confined plasmas. A real k stability analysis has been carried out analytically for the flute-like (k/sub z/ not equal to 0) drift-cone and loss-cone modes for various values of beta and electron temperature as well as other plasma parameters. Flute-like (k/sub z/ = 0) drift-cyclotron and mirror ratio-dependent drift-cone modes were also examined for high beta effects