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Density inhomogeneities are ubiquitous in space and astrophysical plasmas, in particular at contact boundaries between different media. They often correspond to regions that exhibits strong dynamics on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Indeed, density inhomogeneities are a source of free energy that can drive various instabilities such as, for instance, the lower-hybrid-drift instability which in turn transfers energy to the particles through wave-particle interactions and eventually heat the plasma. We aim at quantifying the efficiency of the lower-hybrid-drift instability to accelerate and/or heat electrons parallel to the ambient magnetic field. We combine two complementary methods: full-kinetic and quasilinear models. We report self-consistent evidence of electron acceleration driven by the development of the lower-hybrid-drift instability using 3D-3V full-kinetic numerical simulations. The efficiency of the observed acceleration cannot be explained by standard quasilinear theory. For this reason, we develop an extended quasilinear model able to quantitatively predict the interaction between lower-hybrid fluctuations and electrons on long time scales, now in agreement with full-kinetic simulations results. Finally, we apply this new, extended quasilinear model to a specific inhomogeneous space plasma boundary: the magnetopause of Mercury, and we discuss our quantitative predictions of electron acceleration in support to future BepiColombo observations.
Microscopic instability and macroscopic flow pattern resulting from colliding plasmas are studied analytically in support of laboratory experiments. The plasma flows are assumed to stream radially from two separate centers. In a quasi-planar (2D) geo
Fluid models that approximate kinetic effects have received attention recently in the modelling of large scale plasmas such as planetary magnetospheres. In three-dimensional reconnection, both reconnection itself and current sheet instabilities need
During magnetic reconnection in collisionless space plasma, the electron fluid decouples from the magnetic field within narrow current layers, and theoretical models for this process can be distinguished in terms of their predicted current layer widt
Studies have shown that in sheared $mathbf{E}timesmathbf{B}$ flows in an inhomogeneous ionospheric plasma, the gradient drift (GDI) or the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KHI) instability may grow. This work examines the conditions that cause one of these instabil
Proton mirror modes are large amplitude nonpropagating structures frequently observed in the magnetosheath. It has been suggested that electron temperature anisotropy can enhance the proton mirror instability growth rate while leaving the proton cycl