Multi-dimensional instability of electrostatic solitary structures in magnetized nonthermal dusty plasmas

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of multi-dimensional ins tability of obliquely propagating electrostatic solitary structures in a ho t, magnetized, non-thermal dusty plasma which consists of a negatively char ged hot dust fluid, Boltzmann distributed electrons and nonthermally distri buted ions. The Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation for the electrostatic solitary structures that exist in such a dusty plasma system is derived by the reduc tive perturbation method. The multidimensional instability of these solitar y waves is also studied by the small-k (long wavelength plane wave) perturb ation expansion method. The nature of these solitary structures, the instab ility criterion and their growth rate depending on dust-temperature, extern al magnetic field and obliqueness are discussed. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma situations are briefly mentioned. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.