On Thermal Convection of a Plasma in Porous Medium

The effect of finite Larmor radius of the ions on thermal convection of a plasma is investigated. The case with vertical magnetic field is discussed. Following linear stability theory and normal mode analysis method, the dispersion relation is obtained. It is found that the presence of finite Larmor radius and magnetic field introduces oscillatory modes in the system which were, otherwise, non-existent in their absence. When the instability sets in as stationary convection, finite Larmor radius is found to have a stabilizing effect. Medium permeability has a destabilizing (or stabilizing) effect and the magnetic field has a stabilizing (or destabilizing) effect under certain conditions in the presence of finite Larmor radius effect whereas in the absence of finite Larmor radius effect, the medium permeability and the magnetic field have destabilizing and stabilizing effects, respectively. The sufficient conditions for the non-existence of overstability are also obtained.