Cross‐tail current, field‐aligned current, and B y

Orbits of individual charged particles were traced in a one‐dimensional magnetic field model that included a uniform cross‐tail component B yo . The effects of B yo on the cross‐tail current distribution j y ( z ), the average cross‐tail drift velocity 〈ν y ( z )〉, and the average pitch angle change 〈Δα〉 experienced during current sheet encounters were calculated. The addition of a B yo that exceeded several tenths of one nanotesla completely eliminated all resonance effects for odd‐ N orbits. An odd‐ N resonance involves ions that enter and exit the current sheet on the same side. Pitch angles of nearly all such ions changed substantially during a typical current sheet interaction, and there was no region of large cross‐tail drift velocity in the presence of a modest B yo . The addition of a very large B yo guide field in the direction that enhances the natural drift produces a large j y and small 〈Δα〉 for ions with all energies. The addition of a modest B yo had less effect near even‐ N resonances. In this case, ions in a small energy range were found to undergo so little change in pitch angle that particles which originated in the ionosphere would pass through the current sheet and return to the conjugate ionosphere. Finally, the cross‐tail drift of ions from regions dominated by stochastic orbits to regions dominated by either resonant or guiding center orbits was considered. The ion drift speed changed substantially during such transitions. The accompanying electrons obey the guiding center equations, so electron drift is more uniform. Any difference between gradients in the fluxes associated with electron and ion drifts requires the presence of a Birkeland current in order to maintain charge neutrality. This plasma sheet region therefore serves as a current generator. The analysis predicts that the resulting Birkeland current connects to the lowest altitude equatorial regions in which ions drift to or from a point at which stochastic orbits predominate. The proposed mechanism appears only in analyses that include non‐guiding‐center effects.