Electron acoustic vortices in the presence of inhomogeneous current

Linear and nonlinear dynamics of an electron acoustic wave in an inhomogeneous magnetized plasma are studied in the presence of non-uniform background current. The modified Rayleigh instability condition is found due to shear in the magnetic field and the current. A nonlinear stationary solution is also obtained in the form of tripolar vortices. The relevance of the present study to auroral and magnetotail plasmas is pointed out