Nonlinear evolution of magnetopause tearing modes

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA089iA01p00137· OSTI ID:6652709

Coroniti, F V; Quist, K B

Since the magnetosheath plasma is highly turbulent, reconnection at the dayside magnetopause is likely to be temporally unsteady. The tearing mode can be viewed as a model for the unsteady development of a reconnecting magnetic topology. Magnetopause tearing occurs in the guide field limit and has a wave packet spatial structure in the east-west direction. We solve for the nonlinear evolution of a single wavelength guide-field tearing mode includig the effects of finite transit time on the Landau resonant electrons. Short wavelength modes evolve algebrically in time with perturbation amplitudes proportional to t/sup 2/. Long wavelength modes are fully nonlinear, and the amplitude grows linearly in time.

• Research Organization: Department of Astronomy and Department of Physics University of California, Los Alamos
• OSTI ID: 6652709
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 89:A1; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETOPAUSE
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
RESONANCE
TEARING INSTABILITY
WAVE PACKETS
WAVE PROPAGATION