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Detailed Reference Information
Horton et al. 2004
Horton, W., Xu, B.-Y. and Wong, H.V. (2004). Firehose driven magnetic fluctuations in the magnetosphere. Geophysical Research Letters 31: doi: 10.1029/2003GL018309. issn: 0094-8276.

The nonlinear saturation of the firehose instability in the high plasma pressure central plasma sheet is shown to produce a wide spectrum of Alfv¿nic fluctuations in the range of Pi-2 geomagnetic pulsations. The wave energy sources are the small p$parallel$/p$perp$ > 1 + B2/¿0p$perp$ anisotropies which are created by Earthward ion convection at constant first and second adiabatic invariants. In the nonlinear state, the field-line curvature force is weaker than the linear force. This weakening of the driving force limits the amplitude of the Alfv¿nic fluctuations. Away from the equatorial plane, the plasma is firehose stable, but carries large magnetic fluctuations.

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Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, MHD waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma sheet, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Storms and substorms
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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