Plasma sheet convection and the stability of the magnetotail

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i012p02233· OSTI ID:5502505

Pritchett, P L; Coroniti, F V ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)

Particle simulations are used to investigate the effects of plasma sheet convection into regions of increasing tail lobe magnetic field strength on the stability of a magnetotail equilibrium. The self-consistent treatment of convection first drives B{sub z} to zero on axis in the region of the strongest lobe field b{sub x} and then causes the equilibrium to break due to the rapid growth of tearing modes driven by the induced temperature anisotropy. The net result is the evolution of the inward-convecting plasma sheet into a slowly moving or stagnant plasmoid. The time scale for this process is much more rapid than that associated with particle drift losses across the tail. These results support the suggestion that steady convection within the plasma sheet may not be possible.

• OSTI ID: 5502505
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Vol. 17:12; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MAGNETOTAIL
STABILITY
PLASMA SHEET
CONVECTION
ANISOTROPY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
PARTICLE LOSSES
PLASMOIDS
SELF-CONSISTENT FIELD
TEARING INSTABILITY
TIME DEPENDENCE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUILIBRIUM
HEAT TRANSFER
INSTABILITY
MASS TRANSFER
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SIMULATION
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena