Whistler mode in a Vlasov plasma

In this study, properties of small-amplitude parallel and oblique whistler mode waves are investigated for a wide range of plasma parameters by numerically solving the full electromagnetic Vlasov dispersion equation. To investigate the cold-plasma and electrostatic approximations for the whistler mode, the results are compared with results obtained using these descriptions. For large wavelengths (kc/ω/sub i/< or approx. =100), the cold-plasma description is often accurate, while for short wavelengths (kc/ω/sub i/> or approx. =100) and sufficiently oblique propagation, the electrostatic description is often accurate. The study demonstrates that in a Vlasov plasma the whistler mode near resonance has a group velocity more nearly parallel to the magnetic field than that predicted by cold-plasma theory