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Ion anisotropies in the magnetosheath
Author(s) -
Gary S. Peter,
Anderson Brian J.,
Denton Richard E.,
Fuselier Stephen A.,
McKean Michael E.,
Winske Dan
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1029/93gl01700
Subject(s) - magnetosheath , cyclotron , physics , proton , anisotropy , ion , instability , atomic physics , computational physics , plasma , condensed matter physics , nuclear physics , magnetosphere , optics , quantum mechanics , magnetopause
One‐ and two‐dimensional initial value hybrid computer simulations are used with a magnetosheath parameter model to study the consequences of the growth of the mirror and ion cyclotron anisotropy instabilities. Magnetosheath observations have demonstrated inverse correlations between the proton and helium ion temperature anisotropies and the proton parallel β . Using the maximum growth rate as a fitting parameter, linear Vlasov instability theory for the proton cyclotron and helium cyclotron anisotropy instabilities reproduces both observed correlations. Furthermore, results from the asymptotic states of simulations of the ion cyclotron instabilities qualitatively reproduce both observations.