A two-dimensional particle simulation of the magnetopause current layer

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6567615· OSTI ID:6567615

Berchem, J; Okuda, H

We have developed a 2/1/2/-D (x, y, v/sub x/, v/sub y/, v/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 2-D 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. We 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/ = ..sqrt../rho//sub i//rho//sub e/ predicted by the Ferraro-Rosenbluth model. However, diagnostics indicate that the current sheet is subject to an instability which broadens the width of the current layer. Ripples with amplitudes of the order of the ion gyroradius appear at the interface between the field and the particles. These pertubations are observed both on the electrostatic field and on the compressional component of the magnetic field. This instability has a frequency of the order of the local ion cyclotron frequency. However, the modulation propagates in the same direction as the electron diamagnetic drift which indicates that the instability is not a classical gradient-driven instability, such as the lower hybrid or ion drift cyclotron instabilities. The nonlinear phase of the instability is characterized by the filamentation of the current layer which causes anomalous diffusion inside the central current sheet. 79 refs., 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Plasma Physics Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 6567615
• Report Number(s): PPPL-2568; ON: DE89004629
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990220 -- Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs-- (1987-1989)
ALFVEN WAVES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SIMULATION
SIMULATION
STABILITY
TRAJECTORIES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS