  Stability properties and mode signature for equilibria of a model of electron
temperature gradient (ETG) driven turbulence are investigated by Hamiltonian
techniques. After deriving the infinite families of Casimir invariants,
associated with the noncanonical Poisson bracket of the model, a sufficient
condition for stability is obtained by means of the Energy-Casimir method. Mode
signature is then investigated for linear motions about homogeneous equilibria.
Depending on the sign of the equilibrium "translated" pressure gradient, stable
equilibria can either be energy stable, i.e.\ possess definite linearized
perturbation energy (Hamiltonian), or spectrally stable with the existence of
negative energy modes (NEMs). The ETG instability is then shown to arise
through a Kre\u{\i}n-type bifurcation, due to the merging of a positive and a
negative energy mode, corresponding to two modified drift waves admitted by the
system. The Hamiltonian of the linearized system is then explicitly transformed
into normal form, which unambiguously defines mode signature. In particular,
the fast mode turns out to always be a positive energy mode (PEM), whereas the
energy of the slow mode can have either positive or negative sign.
