Test Particle Calculation of Electric Currents In Magnetic Field-Reversed Regions.
Abstract
A wide range of important plasma phenomena can take place in boundary layers between regions of oppositely directed magnetic fields where collisionless particles can execute magnetized and unmagnetized motion sequentially. Much work has been done recently to study such phenomena in space physics settings using test particle simulations. An important quantity in such systems is the electric current carried by charged particles, since it is this current which must produce the field reversal. Additionally one must calculate the particle density and pressure tensor in order to verify the existence of self-consistent equilibria. We present in this paper an algorithm for evaluating self-consistent Vlasov equilibria in magnetic field-reversed regions. In addition, we describe a technique to separate the magnetic field into the contribution due to the plasma diamagnetism, 4piM, and the part due to the actual particle current, H.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 03, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA306744
Entities
People
- D. L. Holland
- Jiayu Chen
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory