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Ion two‐stream and modified two‐stream instabilities in the magnetic neutral sheet
Author(s) -
Lee L. C.
Publication year - 1982
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/gl009i010p01159
Subject(s) - current sheet , ion , plasma sheet , instability , electron , atomic physics , neutral particle , diamagnetism , magnetic reconnection , energetic neutral atom , physics , particle (ecology) , plasma , diffusion , materials science , magnetic field , magnetohydrodynamics , mechanics , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , geology , oceanography , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
We study the stability of a magnetic neutral sheet that separates two regions of magnetized plasma. The particle species in the neutral sheet consists of: (a) trapped ions and electrons, which are confined within the current sheet, and (b) background ions and electrons, which partially penetrate into the current sheet. The diamagnetic currents of trapped particles and of background particles are in opposite directions, which produces an ion two‐stream distribution in the neutral sheet. It is found that, in addition to the lower hybrid drift instability, the ion two‐stream and modified two‐stream instabilities may occur in the neutral sheet with a thickness on the order of or smaller than the ion inertial length. These instabilities are also expected to occur in the dynamic diffusion region of magnetic reconnection.