  The solar atmosphere is structured and inhomogeneous both horizontally and
vertically. The omnipresence of coronal magnetic loops implies gradients of the
equilibrium plasma quantities like the density, magnetic field and temperature.
These gradients are responsible for the excitation of drift waves that grow
both within the two-component fluid description (in the presence of collisions
and without it) and within the two-component kinetic descriptions (due to
purely kinetic effects). In the present work the effects of the density
gradient in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field vector are
investigated within the kinetic theory, in both electrostatic and
electromagnetic regimes. The electromagnetic regime implies the coupling of the
gradient-driven drift wave with the Alfven wave. The growth rates for the two
cases are calculated and compared. It is found that, in general, the
electrostatic regime is characterized by stronger growth rates, as compared
with the electromagnetic perturbations. Also discussed is the stochastic
heating associated with the drift wave. The released amount of energy density
due to this heating should be more dependent on the magnitude of the background
magnetic field than on the coupling of the drift and Alfven waves. The
stochastic heating is expected to be much higher in regions with a stronger
magnetic field. On the whole, the energy release rate caused by the stochastic
heating can be several orders of magnitude above the value presently accepted
as necessary for a sustainable coronal heating.
