Cross-field current instability as a catalyst of the explosive reconnection in the geomagnetotail

被引:18
|
作者
Sitnov, MI [1 ]
Lui, ATY [1 ]
机构
[1] Johns Hopkins Univ, Appl Phys Lab, Laurel, MD 20723 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1029/1998JA900173
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
Consequences of the turbulence excited by the cross-field current instability (CCI) for explosive reconnection and the tapping of lobe energy into the current disruption region are considered. It is shown that choking of the electron compressibility effect to restore the appropriate reconnection (tearing) mode may be considerably facilitated by the combined action of the pitch angle diffusion induced by CCI and the shielding effect of transient electrons. Another promising way of exciting the tearing mode is by coordinating it with the particle exchange between trapped and transient electron populations induced by the CCI turbulence, which is modulated in turn by the tearing mode because of local thinning of the current sheet.
引用
收藏
页码:6941 / 6951
页数:11
相关论文
共 50 条