  We show that a helical shear flow of a magnetized plasma may serve as an
efficient amplifier of Alfven waves. We find that even when the flow is purely
ejectional (i.e., when no rotation is present) Alfven waves are amplified
through the transient, shear-induced, algebraic amplification process. Series
of transient amplifications, taking place sequentially along the flow, may
result in a cascade amplification of these waves. However, when a flow is
swirling or helical (i.e., some rotation is imposed on the plasma motion),
Alfven waves become subject to new, much more powerful shear instabilities. In
this case, depending on the type of differential rotation, both usual and
parametric instabilities may appear. We claim that these phenomena may lead to
the generation of large amplitude Alfven waves and the mechanism may account
for the appearance of such waves in the solar atmosphere, in accretion-ejecion
flows and in accretion columns. These processes may also serve as an important
initial (linear and nonmodal) phase in the ultimate subcritical transition to
MHD Alfvenic turbulence in various kinds of astrophysical shear flows.
