Physics
Scientific paper
Mar 1991
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991georl..18..385b&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters (ISSN 0094-8276), vol. 18, March 1991, p. 385-388.
Physics
29
Earth Magnetosphere, Geomagnetic Tail, Landau Damping, Magnetohydrodynamic Stability, Tearing Modes (Plasmas), Current Sheets, Energy Dissipation, Energy Storage, Free Energy
Scientific paper
Spontaneous disruptions of magnetotail energy are supposed to be caused by a tearing mode instability. It is shown here how the tail current sheet becomes unstable in the presence of a sufficiently large magnetic shear. The instability occurs because the magnetic shear removes the stabilizing influence of the gyroscopic electrons. Ion Landau damping determines the growth rate of the instability. A violation of the magnetic line conservation in a narrow region due to finite electron inertia would allow three-dimensional reconnection and flux rope formation. The resulting flux ropes are smaller in size and, therefore cause weaker and more localized perturbations of the magnetosphere.
Buechner Joerg
Kuznetsova Masha
Zelenyi Lev M.
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