Drift instabilities of a relativistic plasma. Part 1. Kinetic description of drift effects in a relativistic plasma

The role of relativistic effects in the problem of drift instabilities in an inhomogeneous magnetized plasma is analysed. The kinetic approach is developed, taking into account a non-zero plasma pressure and the electromagnetic character of the perturbations. The general dispersion relation for the perturbations in an inhomogeneous relativistic plasma is obtained. As in the case of a non-relativistic plasma, the dispersion relation is written in terms of the modified dielectric permittivity tensor. This tensor is calculated by taking into account the non-Maxwellian character of the equilibrium momentum distributions of the particles. The relation between the modified dielectric permittivity tensor and the ordinary tensor of dielectric permittivity of a homogeneous plasma is elucidated.