The effects of magnetic shear on the collisional current driven ion cyclotron instability are discussed by incorporating the self-consistent magnetic shear produced by the currents driving the instability itself. It is found that large currents J>or approximately=mA m-2 are needed to significantly modify the properties of the local instability. The wave packet localizes around kz/ky<<1, thereby indicating that the mode is propagating almost perpendicular to the magnetic field. Under auroral conditions (J approximately 10 mu A m-2, Ls approximately 500 km) it is found that the mode is confined to a region of a few hundred meters along the direction of the magnetic field and its local growth rate is unaffected by the magnetic shear.
A kinetic theory of the magnetic islands merging instability