Quasi-linear theory of cyclotron maser instability

The nonlinear development of the cyclotron maser instability is investigated within the framework of a quasi-linear model that makes use of total energy balance for the system. The analysis shows that the instability saturates by the development of an energy spread. The corresponding efficiency of microwave generation is calculated. Moreover, the saturation time of the instability is obtained in terms of the initial perturbed field intensity.