Hybrid simulations of collisionless ion tearing

Journal Article · Fri Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL01250· OSTI ID:6133879

Hesse, M ^[1]; Winske, D ^[2]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

The importance of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric and ionospheric processes is well appreciated, and allows explanations for the particle fluxes observed in the ionosphere. There is no clear understanding of the processes underlying reconnection in a collisionless plasma. The question of ion tearing modes is basic to this problem. Here the authors present a hybrid two-dimensional simulation of collisionless ion tearing modes. They model the ions as particles in a massless fluid of electrons. Pressure anisotropies in the electrons, introduced through a full electron pressure tensor are shown to support the growth of tearing instabilities.

• OSTI ID: 6133879
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 20:12; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SIMULATION
TEARING INSTABILITY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS