Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990georl..17.2313r&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters (ISSN 0094-8276), vol. 17, Dec. 1990, p. 2313-2316. Research supported by NASA and U.S. Navy.
Physics
25
Current Sheets, Electron Energy, Equilibrium Methods, Plasma Layers, Vlasov Equations, Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Earth Magnetosphere, Energetic Particles, Particle Acceleration
Scientific paper
Observations are presented which show that plasma parameters vary on a scale length smaller than the ion gyroradius at the interface between the plasma sheet boundary layer and the lobe. The Vlasov equation is used to investigate the properties of such a boundary layer. The existence, at the interface, of a density gradient whose scale length is smaller than the ion gyroradius implies that an electrostatic potential is established in order to maintain quasi-neutrality. Strongly sheared (scale lengths smaller than the ion gyroradius) perpendicular and parallel (to the ambient magnetic field) electron flows develop whose peak velocities are on the order of the electron thermal speed and which carry a net current. The free energy of the sheared flows can give rise to a broadband spectrum of electrostatic instabilities starting near the electron plasma frequency and extending below the lower hybrid frequency.
Dusenbery Paul B.
Ganguli Gurudas
Palmadesso P.
Romero H.
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