Study of kinetic Alfven wave (KAW) in plasma-sheet-boundary-layer

The effect of parallel electric field with general loss-cone distribution function on the dispersion relation and damping rate/growth rate of the kinetic Alfven wave (KAW) is evaluated by kinetic approach. The generation of KAW by the combined effect of parallel electric field and loss-cone distribution indices (J) at a particular range of k(perpendicular to)rho(i) (k(perpendicular to)rho(i) <1 and k(perpendicular to)rho(i) >1) is noticed, where k(perpendicular to) is perpendicular wave number and rho(i) is the ion-gyro radius. Thus the propagation of KAW and loss of the Poynting flux from plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) to the ionosphere can be explained on the basis of present investigation. It is found that the present study also shows that the loss-cone distribution index is an important parameter to study KAW in the PSBL.