Investigation of flute and lower hybrid drift instabilities in application to laboratory astrophysics and Z-pinch experiments*

In a cylindrical Z-pinch plasma column and in a laser ablated plasma flows interacting with an external magnetic field conditions are favorable for excitation of flute and lower hybrid drift oscillations. Linear analysis of the flute mode instability in a finite beta Z-pinch plasma has demonstrated good agreement between theory and experimental data. Laboratory experiments on the interaction of a plasma flow, produced by laser ablation of a solid target with the inhomogeneous magnetic field demonstrated the presence of strong wave activity in the region of the flow deceleration. Excitation of flute-type modes as well as LHD waves with plasma and magnetic field parameters, corresponding to the ongoing experiments is examined.