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Alfvénic noise and transient reconfiguration in a simulated current sheet
Author(s) -
Rogers Catherine H.,
Christiansen Peter J.
Publication year - 1992
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 - 10.1029/92gl02097
Subject(s) - physics , substorm , magnetic field , current sheet , transient (computer programming) , computational physics , cyclotron resonance , cyclotron , geophysics , mechanics , topology (electrical circuits) , magnetohydrodynamics , magnetosphere , electrical engineering , computer science , quantum mechanics , operating system , engineering
A magnetotail‐like structure is modelled using a 2‐dimensional, single‐ion species, electromagnetic, Darwin (no displacement current), particle‐in‐cell (PIC) code, which is a modified version of that described by Hamilton and Eastwood [1982]. The modifications include new boundary conditions for the magnetic fields which allow a non‐symmetrical topology to be modelled. The work presented here is aimed at the construction and testing of a self‐consistent ‘steady‐state’ model. It is found that the model supports significant magnetic perturbations, arising as a consequence of cyclotron resonance interactions with ion beam‐like features. When subjected to transient changes in the convection electric field, the model also exhibits field reconfiguration and particle responses reminiscent of near‐Earth substorm behaviour.