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Brittnacher & Whipple 1991
Brittnacher, M.J. and Whipple, E.C. (1991). Chaotic jumps in the generalized first adiabatic invariant in current sheets. Geophysical Research Letters 18: doi: 10.1029/91GL01855. issn: 0094-8276.

In attempting to develop a fluidlike model of plasma dynamics in a current sheet, kinetic effects due to chaotic non-adiabatic particle motion must be included in any realtistic description. Using drift variables described by the Kruskal averaging procedure, to construct distribution functions may provide an approach in which to develop the fluid description. However, the drift motion is influenced by abrupt changes in the value of the generalized first adiabatic invariant J. In this letter, we indicate how the changes in J derived from separatrix crossing theory can be incorporated into the drift variable approach to generating distribution functions. In particular, we propose a method to determine distribution functions for an ensemble of particles following interaction with the tail current sheet by treating the interaction as a scattering problem characterized by changes in the invariant.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma sheet, Space Plasma Physics, Charged particle motion and acceleration, Space Plasma Physics, Kinetic and MHD theory, Space Plasma Physics, Nonlinear phenomena
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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