Description:
<jats:p>The instability of the linearly polarized mode propagating perpendicular to the magnetic field, considered previously for counterstreaming electron plasmas, is here studied for plasmas with ion streaming using the cold-plasma equations. For two ion beams with velocities +ui and −ui in a neutralizing background of electrons, it is found that instability occurs when ui&gt;cΩi/ωpi, with maximum growth rate (ui2ωpi2/c2 − Ωi2)1/2, when Ωi and ωpi are, respectively, the ion cyclotron and plasma frequencies; c is the velocity of light. The case of two counterstreaming plasmas with both electron and ion streaming is also discussed.</jats:p>