Resistive drift-Alfven instability in a cylindrical magnetized plasma

Linearized eigenmode equations governing resistive drift-Alfven modes are derived by using the two-fluid model for a cylindrical plasma with a uniform longitudinal magnetic field. The local dispersion relation shows that the shear Alfven wave couples with the unstable resistive drift wave due to the finite Larmor radius effect measured with the electron temperature. The eigenmode equations are solved by the shooting method in the cylindrical plasma. Generally growth rates decrease with the increase of electron pressure for the larger m mode. This behavior seems consistent with a theoretical model that stabilization of drift-Alfven wave induces the L(low confinement)-H(high confinement) transition at the edge of tokamak plasma. (orig.)