Anisotropic magnetotail equilibrium and convection

Journal Article · Fri Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL00243· OSTI ID:6522518

Hau, L N

This paper reports on self-consistent two-dimensional equilibria with anisotropic plasma pressure for the Earth's magnetotail. These configurations are obtained by numerically solving the generalized Grad-Shafranov equation, describing anisotropic plasmas with p[parallel] [ne] p[perpendicular], including the Earth's dipolar field. Consistency between these new equilibria and the assumption of steady-state, sunward convection, described by the double-adiabatic laws, is examined. As for the case of isotropic pressure [Erickson and Wolf, 1980], there exists a discrepancy between typical quite-time magnetic field models and the assumption of steady-state double-adiabatic lossless plasma sheet convection. However, unlike that case, this inconsistency cannot be removed by the presence of a weak equatorial normal magnetic field strength in the near tail region: magnetic field configurations of this type produce unreasonably large pressure anisotropies, p[parallel] > p[perpendicular], in the plasma sheet. 16 refs., 5 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6522518
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Vol. 20:7; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
CONVECTION
EQUILIBRIUM
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
MAGNETOTAIL
GRAD-SHAFRANOV EQUATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA PRESSURE
PLASMA SHEET
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
MASS TRANSFER
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)