Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufmsm44a..06z&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #SM44A-06
Physics
2740 Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, 2744 Magnetotail, 2753 Numerical Modeling
Scientific paper
In this work we present a new stationary three-dimensional hybrid code with ions represented by particles and electrons by a massless fluid. We use this code to study how electrons influence the dynamics of the magnetotail current sheet and how they contribute to the formation of a double peak in the cross-tail current density, which is observed relatively often by CLUSTER crossing of the neutral sheet. The magnetotail current sheet is modeled as a magnetic field reversal with a normal magnetic field component B_n. A cross tail electric field E_y is included. An ion test particle simulation is performed in these fields assuming an anisotropic plasma source at the magnetospheric lobes, and ion distribution function moments, as density, current, and temperature are obtained. Plasma is assumed quasi-neutral and we use the electron momentum equation (with negligible inertial effects and without collisions) and the electron continuity equation to derive the electron current density. One of the most interesting results we find is that the main electron contribution to the total cross-tail current density derives from the finite Larmor radius term of electron pressure gradient; further, this electron term is responsible for the formation of a double peak in the total current density even in those case where the ion current density does not display any bifurcated structure. Once we obtain the total current, as the sum of ion and electron contributions, the new magnetic and electric fields are computed. A very new and interesting result is that we obtain an electric field perpendicular to the current sheet due to the electron pressure gradient term. It has a quadrupole variation, but it mostly points away from the current sheet. This compares very well with the CLUSTER crossing on 17th August 2003 that shows an electric field due to the electron pressure tensor of the order of 1 mV/m which points away from the current sheet along the direction normal to the sheet.
de Bartolo R.
Greco Andrés
Veltri Pierluigi
Zimbardo Gaetano
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