Generation of drift-Alfven waves in field-aligned density striations

A laboratory experiment modeling conditions in the auroral ionosphere investigates the properties of spontaneously excited fluctuations within a field aligned density depletion. Density fluctuations can be strongly coupled to shear-like magnetic fluctuations depending on the plasma beta, beta(e). At higher beta(e) (>m/M> the fluctuations exhibit a coherent eigenmode structure and as beta(e) is lowered (<m/M) broadband Alfvenic turbulence develops.