Microinstabilities in Magnetized Plasmas

This lecture delves into microinstabilities in inhomogeneous magnetized plasmas, which lead to turbulent transport and limit the confinement properties of magnetic fusion reactors. The instructor reviews drifts in magnetized plasmas, derives a local kinetic dispersion relation for electrostatic waves, and discusses diamagnetic drifts. The lecture covers the importance of kinetic effects, resonances between particles and waves, and finite Larmor radius effects. The analysis includes a detailed study of linear turbulence states, critical gradients, and electrostatic micro instabilities, such as interchange waves and ion temperature gradient instability. The lecture emphasizes the multi-scale nature of plasmas and the challenges posed by magnetized plasmas, highlighting the dominance of turbulent transport in these systems.