  We consider the linear stability problem for a 3D cylindrically symmetric
equilibrium of the relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell system that describes a
collisionless plasma. For an equilibrium whose distribution function decreases
monotonically with the particle energy, we obtained a linear stability
criterion in our previous paper. Here we prove that this criterion is sharp;
that is, there would otherwise be an exponentially growing solution to the
linearized system. Therefore for the class of symmetric Vlasov-Maxwell
equilibria, we establish an energy principle for linear stability. We also
treat the considerably simpler periodic 1.5D case. The new formulation
introduced here is applicable as well to the nonrelativistic case, to other
symmetries, and to general equilibria.
