A particle model for magnetotail neutral sheet equilibria

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA00495· OSTI ID:6893032

Burkhart, G R; Dusenbery, P B; Speiser, T W ^[1]; Drake, J F ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (United States) NOAA Space Environment Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)
2. Univ. of Maryland, College Park (United States)

Previous studies of forced current sheet equilibria, that is, x-independent current sheets with a constant B[sub z] = B[sub n] and a constant, uniform electric field E[sub y] are numerically and analytically extended to the regime v[sub D]/v[sub T][approx lt]1 and B[sub n]/(4[pi]n[sub b]v[sup 2][sub T])[approx lt]1, where v[sub D]=cE[sub y]/B[sub n],v[sub T] is the proton thermal velocity, and n[sub b] is the value of the number density outside the current sheet. Such equilibria may be applicable to the thin current sheets observed in the current disruption region of the magnetotail during substorm growth phase and to the magnetotail neutral sheet. It is found that the current and thickness of the forced current sheet are controlled by the motions of the individual protons. For k[sub A][lt][lt]1 and v[sub D]/v[sub T][approx gt]1, the authors numerically verify the scaling for the current sheet half thickness, a[approximately] (v[sub D]/v[sub T])[sup [minus]4/3]([lambda][sub b]) where [lambda]b=(m[sub i]c[sup 2]/4[pi]n[sub b]e[sup 2])[sup 1/2] and k[sub A] is the value of k=(R[sub min]/[rho][sub max])[sup 1/2] in the self-consistent current sheet for protons of average energy (R[sub min] is the minimum field line radius of curvature and [rho][sub max] is the maximum gyroradius).

• OSTI ID: 6893032
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 97:A9; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
EQUILIBRIUM
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETOTAIL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA DENSITY