Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990jgr....9520903l&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 95, Dec. 1, 1990, p. 20903-20909. Research supported by Aerospace Corp.
Physics
50
Collisionless Plasmas, Electric Fields, Magnetic Field Reconnection, Plasma Spectra, Space Plasmas, Geomagnetic Tail, Line Spectra, Magnetic Field Configurations, Transport Theory, Two Dimensional Models
Scientific paper
The suggestion by Dungey (1988) that the gyroviscosity associated with gradients of the off-diagonal elements of the electron pressure tensor can balance a reconnection electric field along a magnetic X line in a collisionless plasma is investigated. The detailed balance of forces in the vicinity of an X line is evaluated using a two-dimensional magnetic field model and a simple model for particle motion. The results show that the gyroviscosity can indeed provide the force required to balance a reconnection electric field in that region, so that neither collisions nor wave turbulence are necessary for reconnection. The results also show that there should not be a significant increase in current from electron acceleration very near an X line. Reasonable numerical estimates are obtained for conditions expected in the vicinity of the distant X line in the geomagnetic tail.
Lyons Larry R.
Pridmore-Brown D. C.
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