Whistler instability in plasmas with anisotropic and non-Maxwellian velocity distributions

1971 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Fong Lee

The instability of right-handed, circularly polarized electromagnetic waves, propagating along an external magnetic field (whistler mode), is studied for electron plasmas with distribution functions peaked at some non-zero value of the transverse velocity. Based on the linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations, the criteria for instability are given both for non-resonant instabilities arising from distribution functions with no thermal spread parallel to the magnetic field, and for resonant instabilities arising from distribution functions with Maxwellian dependence in the parallel velocities. It is found that, in general, the higher the average perpendicular energy, the more is the plasma susceptible to the whistler instability. These criteria are then applied to a sharply peaked ring distribution, and to loss-cone distributions of the Dory, Guest & Harris (1965) type.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Prudêncio ◽  
Humberto Belich

We discuss the modified Maxwell action of aKF-type Lorentz symmetry breaking theory and present a solution of Maxwell equations derived in the cases of linear and elliptically polarized electromagnetic waves in the vacuum of CPT-even Lorentz violation. We show in this case that the Lorentz violation has the effect of changing the amplitude of one component of the magnetic field, while leaving the electric field unchanged, leading to nonorthogonal propagation of electromagnetic fields and dependence of the eccentricity onκ-term. Further, we exhibit numerically the consequences of this effect in the cases of linear and elliptical polarization, in particular, the regimes of nonorthogonality of the electromagnetic wave fields and the eccentricity of the elliptical polarization of the magnetic field with dependence on theκ-term.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Smets ◽  
G. Belmont ◽  
D. Delcourt ◽  
L. Rezeau

Abstract. Using hybrid simulations, we examine how particles can diffuse across the Earth's magnetopause because of finite Larmor radius effects. We focus on tangential discontinuities and consider a reversal of the magnetic field that closely models the magnetopause under southward interplanetary magnetic field. When the Larmor radius is on the order of the field reversal thickness, we show that particles can cross the discontinuity. We also show that with a realistic initial shear flow, a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability develops that increases the efficiency of the crossing process. We investigate the distribution functions of the transmitted ions and demonstrate that they are structured according to a D-shape. It accordingly appears that magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause is not the only process that leads to such specific distribution functions. A simple analytical model that describes the built-up of these functions is proposed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
AZ Kazbegi ◽  
GZ Machabeli ◽  
G Melikidze

The generation of radio waves in the plasma of the pulsar magnetosphere is considered taking into account the inhomogeneity of the dipole magnetic field. It is shown that the growth rate of the instability of the electromagnetic waves calculated in the non-resonance case turns out to be of the order of 1/ TO (where TO is the time of plasma escape from the light cylinder). However, the generation of electromagnetic waves from a new type Cherenkov resonance is possible, occurring when the particles have transverse velocities caused by the drift due to the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field. Estimates show that the development of this type of instability is possible only for pulsars with ages which exceed 104 yr. We make an attempt to explain some peculiarities of 'typical' pulsar emission on the basis of the model developed.


1969 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 274-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Gleeson ◽  
M. P. C. Legg ◽  
K. C. Westfold

This paper is a preliminary account of the calculation of the circularly polarized synchrotron radiation received from a distribution of electricallycharged particles confined to a thin shell in the magnetic field of a dipole. Calculations of the total radiation and the degree of linear polarization have previously been carried out, and these calculations are duplicated in part.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Geraldini ◽  
F. I. Parra ◽  
F. Militello

The magnetic presheath is a boundary layer occurring when magnetized plasma is in contact with a wall and the angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ between the wall and the magnetic field $\boldsymbol{B}$ is oblique. Here, we consider the fusion-relevant case of a shallow-angle, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\ll 1$ , electron-repelling sheath, with the electron density given by a Boltzmann distribution, valid for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}/\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}+1}\gg \sqrt{m_{\text{e}}/m_{\text{i}}}$ , where $m_{\text{e}}$ is the electron mass, $m_{\text{i}}$ is the ion mass, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}=T_{\text{i}}/ZT_{\text{e}}$ , $T_{\text{e}}$ is the electron temperature, $T_{\text{i}}$ is the ion temperature and $Z$ is the ionic charge state. The thickness of the magnetic presheath is of the order of a few ion sound Larmor radii $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{\text{s}}=\sqrt{m_{\text{i}}(ZT_{\text{e}}+T_{\text{i}})}/ZeB$ , where e is the proton charge and $B=|\boldsymbol{B}|$ is the magnitude of the magnetic field. We study the dependence on $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}$ of the electrostatic potential and ion distribution function in the magnetic presheath by using a set of prescribed ion distribution functions at the magnetic presheath entrance, parameterized by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}$ . The kinetic model is shown to be asymptotically equivalent to Chodura’s fluid model at small ion temperature, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}\ll 1$ , for $|\text{ln}\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}|>3|\text{ln}\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}|\gg 1$ . In this limit, despite the fact that fluid equations give a reasonable approximation to the potential, ion gyro-orbits acquire a spatial extent that occupies a large portion of the magnetic presheath. At large ion temperature, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}\gg 1$ , relevant because $T_{\text{i}}$ is measured to be a few times larger than $T_{\text{e}}$ near divertor targets of fusion devices, ions reach the Debye sheath entrance (and subsequently the wall) at a shallow angle whose size is given by $\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}$ or $1/\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ , depending on which is largest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 1175-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Gurgiolo ◽  
Melvyn L. Goldstein

Abstract. Observations of the three-dimensional solar wind electron velocity distribution functions (VDF) using ϕ–θ plots often show a tongue of electrons that begins at the strahl and stretches toward a new population of electrons, termed the proto-halo, that exists near the projection of the magnetic field opposite that associated with the strahl. The energy range in which the tongue and proto-halo are observed forms a “diffusion zone”. The tongue first appears in energy generally near the lower-energy range of the strahl and in the absence of any clear core/halo signature. While the ϕ–θ plots give the appearance that the tongue and proto-halo are derived from the strahl, a close examination of their density suggests that their source is probably the upper-energy core/halo electrons which have been scattered by one or more processes into these populations.


2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Echim ◽  
H. Lamy ◽  
T. Chang

Abstract. In this paper we investigate the statistical properties of magnetic field fluctuations measured by the four Cluster spacecraft in the cusp and close to the interface with the magnetospheric lobes, magnetopause and magnetosheath. At lower altitudes along the outbound orbit of 26 February 2001, the magnetic field fluctuations recorded by all four spacecraft are random and their Probability Distribution Functions (PDFs) are Gaussian at all scales. The flatness parameter, F – related to the kurtosis of the time series, is equal to 3. At higher altitudes, in the cusp and its vicinity, closer to the interface with the magnetopause and magnetosheath, the PDFs from all Cluster satellites are non-Gaussian and show a clear intermittent behavior at scales smaller than τG≈ 61 s (or 170 km). The flatness parameter increases to values greater than 3 for scales smaller than τG. A Haar wavelet transform enables the identification of the "events" that produce sudden variations of the magnetic field and of the scales that have most of the power. The LIM parameter (i.e. normalized wavelet power) indicates that events for scales below 65 s are non-uniformly distributed throughout the cusp passage. PDFs, flatness and wavelet analysis show that at coarse-grained scales larger than τG the intermittency is absent in the cusp. Fluctuations of the magnetic energy observed during the same orbit in the magnetosheath show PDFs that tend toward a Gaussian at scales smaller than τG found in the cusp. The flatness analysis confirms the decreasing of τG from cusp to magnetosheath. Our analysis reveals the turbulent cusp as a transition region from a non-intermittent turbulent state inside the magnetosphere to an intermittent turbulent state in the magnetosheath that has statistical properties resembling the solar wind turbulence. The observed turbulent fluctuations in the cusp suggests a phenomenon of nonlinear interactions of plasma coherent structures as in contemporary models of space plasma turbulence.


1996 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 49-50
Author(s):  
Naoki Itoh ◽  
Takemi Kotouda

Monte Carlo simulations of the evolution of pulsars are carried out in order to compare with the recent measurement of the pulsar transverse velocity by Lyne & Lorimer (1994). The new electron density distribution model of Taylor & Cordes (1993) is adopted in the simulation. Accurate pulsar orbits in the Galactic gravitational field are calculated. It is found that the constant magnetic field model of pulsars can account for the new measurement of the pulsar transverse velocity and the apparent correlation between the strength of the magnetic field and the transverse velocity of the pulsars. The present finding confirms the validity of the constant magnetic field model of pulsars and consolidates the idea that the apparent correlation between the strength of the magnetic field and the transverse velocity of the pulsars is caused by observational selection effects.


1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Barr ◽  
T. J. M. Boyd ◽  
R. Rankin

The effects of a d.c. magnetic field on stimulated Raman sidescatter from laser-produced plasmas is studied. For exact sidescatter along the magnetic field, the Raman instability separates into two distinct decays in which the scattered light is either a right (RHCP) or left (LHCP) circularly polarized electromagnetic wave. Growth rates of the instabilities can be enhanced in the former case but are diminished in the latter. The magnetic field induced effects are greatest near the quarter critical density where frequency shifts can be especially significant, being equal to ± ¼Ωc for decay into RHCP and LHCP waves, respectively.


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