Non-Neutral Field-Aligned Current Sheet and Auroral Electric Field.
Abstract
Equilibrium configurations of the non-neutral field-aligned electron current sheet in a Maxwellian plasma are obtained from solutions of the time-independent Vlasov-Maxwell equations. This is the first field-aligned non-neutral current sheet model in a hot plasma in which the electrons are allowed to be nonadiabatic. The current in this model has a perpendicular as well as a parallel component to the external magnetic field. The electric field of the current sheet is pointing normally toward the midplane of the sheet. This zeroth-order perpendicular electric field is identified as the primary electric field which gives rise to a few keV potential drop along auroral field lines. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA072852
Entities
People
- J. R. Kan
- L. C. Lee
- R. K. Albano
Organizations
- University of Alaska Fairbanks