Nonlinear evolution of the lower hybrid drift instability: Current sheet thinning and kinking

Autor:	Giovanni Lapenta, J. U. Brackbill
Rok vydání:	2002
Předmět:	Physics Wavelength Current sheet Condensed matter physics Physics::Space Physics Electron temperature Astrophysical plasma Plasma Electron Kink instability Atomic physics Condensed Matter Physics Instability
Zdroj:	Physics of Plasmas. 9:1544-1554
ISSN:	1089-7674 1070-664X
DOI:	10.1063/1.1464149
Popis:	Through numerical plasma simulations using the implicit code CELESTE3D [G. Lapenta and J. U. Brackbill, Nonlinear Processes Geophys. 7, 151 (2000)], the development of kink modes in a Harris current sheet is investigated, and their possible nonlinear interaction with the lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) is considered. Consistent with earlier work, the rapid development of a short wavelength LHDI is observed, followed by the slow development of long wavelength current sheet kinking. The growth of kink modes is in agreement with the linear theory for the drift kink instability only at very small mass ratios (mi/me=16). At more realistic mass ratios, the growth rate exceeds that predicted by linear theory. A thorough investigation of the dependence of current sheet kinking on ion/electron mass and temperature ratios, and current sheet thickness reveals that the growth of kink modes is unaffected by current sheet thinning, but is strongly dependent on the ion/electron temperature ratio. The saturation am...
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
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