Stabilization of collisional drift waves by kinetic Alfvén waves

We have investigated a mode-coupling mechanism between kinetic Alfvén waves and a collisional drift wave in an inhomogeneous cylindrical plasma. Drift waves satisfying the condition k_D > 1/r₀ (where r₀ is the radius of the plasma cylinder) are stabilized by the low-frequency ponderomotive force generated by the kinetic Alfvén waves. For typical plasma parameters and a moderate level of Alfven-wave intensity the stabilization factor is comparable to the destabilization mechanism due to collisions.