Formation of wave patterns and potential structures due to current-driven electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability

Formation of wave patterns accompanied by a current driven electrostatic ion cyclotron instability is investigated by means of two-and-half dimensional electrostatic particle simulations with a periodic and an open boundary model. A mesh-like pattern appears when the electron drift is uniform in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. On the other hand, a stripe-like pattern appears when the electron drift is nonuniform. It is also found that a V-shaped pattern appears for the nonuniform electron drift after a long time evolution of the instability in the simulation with the open boundary model.