A two-dimensional particle simulation of the magnetopause current layer

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA06p08133· OSTI ID:5376295

Berchem, J; Okuda, H ^[1]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (USA)

The authors have developed 2{1/2}-dimensional (x, y, {upsilon}{sub x}, {upsilon}{sub y}, {upsilon}{sub z}) electromagnetic code to study the formation and the stability of the magnetopause current layer. This code computes the trajectories of ion and electron particles in their self-consistently generated electromagnetic field and an externally imposed two-dimensional vacuum dipolar magnetic field. The results presented here are obtained for the simulation of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction in the subsolar region of the equatorial plane. They observe the self-consistent establishment of a current layer resulting from both diamagnetic drift and E {times} B drift due to the charge separation. the simulation results show that during the establishment of the current layer, its thickness is of the order of the hybrid gyroradius {rho}{sub H} = ({rho}{sub i}{rho}{sub e}){sup {1/2}} predicted by the Ferraro-Rosenbluth model. However, diagnostics indicates that the current sheet is subject to an instability which broadens the width of the current layer. Ripples with wavelengths of the order of the ion gyroradius appear at the interface between the field and the particles. These perturbations are observed both on the electrostatic field and on the compressional component of the magnetic field. this instability has a frequency very close to the local ion cyclotron frequency and propagates with a phase velocity in the same direction as the electron diamagnetic drift. The nonlinear phase of the instability is characterized by the filamentation of the current layer which causes anomalous diffusion inside the central current sheet.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 5376295
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 95:A6; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MAGNETOPAUSE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRONS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
IONS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MORPHOLOGY
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA DRIFT
SOLAR WIND
CHARGED PARTICLES
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena