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Title: Collisionless kinetic theory of oblique tearing instabilities

Abstract

The linear dispersion relation for collisionless kinetic tearing instabilities is calculated for the Harris equilibrium. In contrast to the conventional 2D geometry, which considers only modes at the center of the current sheet, modes can span the current sheet in 3D. Modes at each resonant surface have a unique angle with respect to the guide field direction. Both kinetic simulations and numerical eigenmode solutions of the linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations have recently revealed that standard analytic theories vastly overestimate the growth rate of oblique modes. We find that this stabilization is associated with the density-gradient-driven diamagnetic drift. The analytic theories miss this drift stabilization because the inner tearing layer broadens at oblique angles sufficiently far that the assumption of scale separation between the inner and outer regions of boundarylayer theory breaks down. The dispersion relation obtained by numerically solving a single second order differential equation is found to approximately capture the drift stabilization predicted by solutions of the full integro-differential eigenvalue problem. A simple analytic estimate for the stability criterion is provided.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
  2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Astrophysical Sciences; Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
  3. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1429052
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1421302; OSTI ID: 1438147; OSTI ID: 1777874
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-21045
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; TRN: US1802606
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0016159; AGS-0962698; AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; kinetic theory; dispersion; magnetic reconnection; ionospheric physics; plasma dynamics; magnetospheric dynamics; physical optics; plasma instabilities; plasma interactions; flow boundary effects

Citation Formats

Baalrud, S. D., Bhattacharjee, A., and Daughton, W. Collisionless kinetic theory of oblique tearing instabilities. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5020777.
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Baalrud, S. D., Bhattacharjee, A., & Daughton, W. Collisionless kinetic theory of oblique tearing instabilities. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5020777
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Baalrud, S. D., Bhattacharjee, A., and Daughton, W. Thu . "Collisionless kinetic theory of oblique tearing instabilities". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5020777. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1429052.
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@article{osti_1429052,
title = {Collisionless kinetic theory of oblique tearing instabilities},
author = {Baalrud, S. D. and Bhattacharjee, A. and Daughton, W.},
abstractNote = {The linear dispersion relation for collisionless kinetic tearing instabilities is calculated for the Harris equilibrium. In contrast to the conventional 2D geometry, which considers only modes at the center of the current sheet, modes can span the current sheet in 3D. Modes at each resonant surface have a unique angle with respect to the guide field direction. Both kinetic simulations and numerical eigenmode solutions of the linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations have recently revealed that standard analytic theories vastly overestimate the growth rate of oblique modes. We find that this stabilization is associated with the density-gradient-driven diamagnetic drift. The analytic theories miss this drift stabilization because the inner tearing layer broadens at oblique angles sufficiently far that the assumption of scale separation between the inner and outer regions of boundarylayer theory breaks down. The dispersion relation obtained by numerically solving a single second order differential equation is found to approximately capture the drift stabilization predicted by solutions of the full integro-differential eigenvalue problem. A simple analytic estimate for the stability criterion is provided.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5020777},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 2,
volume = 25,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Thu Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5020777
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Cited by: 5 works
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1. FIG. 1.: Illustration of chains of flux tubes on three resonant surfaces. Flux tubes are aligned along the magnetic eld, and θ is the angle between this and the guide eld direction ($\hat{y}$).
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Influence of 3D plasmoid dynamics on the transition from collisional to kinetic reconnection
    journal, July 2019

    • Stanier, A.; Daughton, W.; Le, A.
    • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.1063/1.5100737

    Relativistic Tearing Mode in Pair Plasmas and Application to Magnetic Giant Flares
    journal, July 2019

    The Interplay of Magnetically Dominated Turbulence and Magnetic Reconnection in Producing Nonthermal Particles
    journal, November 2019

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