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Solitary waves in the Earth's magnetosphere: Nonlinear stage of the lower‐hybrid Buneman instability
Author(s) -
Jovanović D.,
Shukla P. K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl018047
Subject(s) - physics , magnetosheath , magnetosphere , instability , magnetopause , electron , plasma , computational physics , lower hybrid oscillation , polarization (electrochemistry) , geophysics , atomic physics , mechanics , electromagnetic electron wave , quantum mechanics , chemistry
A drift‐kinetic theory for electron phase‐space vortices in magnetized space plasmas is formulated in the frequency range of lower‐hybrid waves excited by the Buneman instability in the presence of an electron beam. The nonlinear model accounts for the effects of the electron polarization, anisotropic electron temperature and ion mobility, and it provides a theoretical explanation for some of the electrostatic and weakly electromagnetic bipolar structures observed by the Cluster, Polar and FAST spacecrafts in the Earth's magnetosheath, magnetopause and in the auroral zone. Quasi‐3‐D electron holes have the form of either elongated cylinders oblique to the magnetic field, or spheroids.