  The plasma theory of electrostatic waves generated collisionlessly when
neutrinos pass through degenerate electrons is developed. It is consistent with
the results of calculations using quantum statistical field theory in the
degenerate limit for kinetic instabilities, and using this formalism reactive
instabilities may also be treated. For all neutrino distribution functions that
might be appropriate to the neutrino burst during a core collapse supernova, no
significant wave growth is found for non-magnetic electrostatic waves. It is
speculated that this situation might be different for magnetic fields
approaching the values believed to be present on magnetars.
