Boltzmann H function and entropy in the plasma sheet

Details Boltzmann H function and entropy in the plasma sheet Boltzmann H function and entropy in the plasma sheet

May 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009jgra..11400d04k&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 114, Issue A8, CiteID A00D04

Physics

Plasma Physics

3

Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma Sheet, Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetotail, Space Plasma Physics: Plasma Energization, Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma Convection (2463)

Scientific paper

Boltzmann's H function was evaluated using 10 years of 1-min distribution functions. These results were used to study the long-term averaged spatial distributions of four entropy parameters. The average entropy density s a (x), where a = i for ions and a = e for electrons, increased when moving Earthward or toward the flanks. The magnitudes of these entropy changes were similar for ions and electrons. The entropy per unit flux tube S f,a (x) decreased when moving Earthward or toward midnight. The spatial changes of s a (x) and of S f,a (x) were attributed primarily to variations of the particle density n a (x) and of the particle content of each unit flux tube N f (x), respectively. A dimensionless parameter (S/Nc v ) H,i that is proportional to the average entropy per ion increased when moving Earthward or toward midnight near the neutral sheet. The dimensionless parameter proportional to the entropy per ion that would exist in a plasma with the measured pressure and density but with a Maxwellian distribution function (S/Nc v ) P,i was also calculated. Differences between (S/Nc v ) P,i and (S/Nc v ) H,i showed that the plasma was closer to equilibrium near the neutral sheet at x = -10 RE than at x = -28 RE. These gradients of the entropy per ion and of the deviations from equilibrium suggest that nonadiabatic processes and particle scattering are significant throughout the region studied.

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