Search

Using the two-fluid model in the case of α 1 (α = β/2Q, β is the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure, and Q = me/mi), we numerically investigate the interactions between two solitary kinetic Alfven waves (SKAWs) and between an SKAW and a density discontinuity. The results show that the two SKAWs would remain in their original shapes and propagate at their initiating speeds, which indicates that SKAWs behave just like standard solitons. The simulation also shows that SKAWs will reflect and refract when crossing a discontinuity and propagating into a higher density region. The transmission wave is an SKAW with increasing density, and the reverberation is a disturbance with lower amplitude.

We perform 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to investigate the nonlinear evolution of the lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) in Harris current sheet. Due to the drift motion of electrons in the electric field of the excited low hybrid drift (LHD) waves, the electrons accumulate at the outer layer, and therefore there is net positive charge at the inner edge of the current sheet. This redistribution of charge can create an electrostatic field along the z direction, which then modifies the motions of the electrons along the y direction by E × B drift. This effect strongly changes the structure of the current sheet.

We further present a three-dimensional (3D) ray-tracing study on the propagation characteristic of the superluminous R-X mode waves during high geomagnetic activity following our recent two-dimensional results [J. Geophys. Res. 112 (2007) A10214]. We perform numerical calculations for this mode which originates at specific altitude r = 2.0RE in the source cavity along a 70° night geomagnetic field line. We demonstrate that the ray path of the R-X mode is essentially governed by the azimuthal angle of the wave vector k. Ray paths starting with azimuthal angle 180° (or in the meridian plane) can reach the lowest latitude, but stay at relatively higher latitudes with the azimuthal angles other than 180° (or off the meridian plane). The results further supports the previous finding that the R-X mode may be physically present in the radiation belts under appropriate conditions.

The ion motion in the presence of linear polarized Alfven waves is studied. For a linearly polarized wave, nonlinear resonances can occur when the amplitude of Alfven wave is large enough. Under certain conditions, these resonances can overlap and thus make the ion motion chaotic. In this process, the plasma can be heated without the limitation of cyclotron resonant condition. Taking into account of a spectrum of waves, the stochastic condition can decrease largely. In addition, the preferential heating can be found in the perpendicular direction.

A ray-tracing method is developed to evaluate the wave growth/damping and specifically propagation trajectories of the magnetospherically reflected Whistler-mode waves. The methodology is valid for weak wave growth/damping when plasma is comprised of a cold electron population and a hot electron population, together with background neutralizing ions, e.g. protons. The effect of anisotropic thermal electrons on the propagation of Whistler-mode waves is studied in detail. Numerical results are obtained for a realistic spatial variation model of plasma population, including the cold electron density distribution, and the thermal electron density and temperature distribution. It is found that, analogous to the case of the typical cold plasma approximation, the overall ray path of Whistler-mode waves is insensitive to the thermal electron density and temperature anisotropy, and the ray path reflects where wave frequency is below or comparable to the local lower hybrid resonance frequency flhr. However, the wave growth is expected to be influenced by the thermal electron population. The results present a first detailed verification for the validity of the typical cold plasma approximation for the propagation of Whistler-mode waves and may account for the observation that the Whistler-mode waves tend to propagate on a particular magnetic shell L where the wave frequency is comparable to flhr.

The characteristics of magnetohydrodynamic fast wave propagation in the solar stratified atmosphere are studied by the ray tracing method. The propagation behaviour of the wavefronts is described in detail. A magnetic field incorporating the characteristics field spreading expected in flux tubes is used, which represents the main feature of an active region. Partly ionization is considered beside the stratified solar atmosphere consisting chromosphere, transition region and corona. The study may explain the characteristics in observations of Moreton and extra-ultraviolet image telescope (EIT) waves. The wavefront incurred by the disturbance initialized at the base of the transition region propagates fast initially due to strong magnetic field, and it slows down when arriving beyond the region of flux-tube. Meanwhile, the wave propagates in the corona with a more consistent speed, as seen in the observation of EIT waves. The speeds and propagated characteristics in chromosphere and corona of the wavefronts are in agreement with those observed in Hα Moreton and EIT waves, respectively.

The resonant acceleration of electrons by the superluminous R-X mode is evaluated in the high density plasma region of Earth, specifically around the geostationary orbit. The corresponding resonant frequency range together with the harmonic N required for producing a significant acceleration is studied in detail. It is found that the stochastic acceleration is basically controlled by the harmonic N and a dimensionless parameter α = |Ωe2|/ωpe2 (where |Ωe| and ωpe are the electron gyrofrequency and plasma frequency respectively). For α = 0.1 (around the geostationary orbit), there are not gyroresonances occurring between electrons and right-hand extraordinary-mode electromagnetic waves until higher harmonics N≥4; while for α = 0.5, the gyroresonance begins at N = 2. Substantial acceleration of electrons by the right-hand extraordinary mode is possible for those higher harmonic (N>1) resonances over a wide range of wave normal angles θ. This indicates that higher harmonic resonance can play an important role on the electron acceleration in the high density plasma region (α

An extended relativistic model is developed to evaluate the superluminous R–X-mode resonance especially the second-order and third-order resonances with electrons in the Earth's magnetosphere. The potential for stochastic electron acceleration driven by the R–X mode is determined by the dispersive properties of the R–X mode and specifically the resonant harmonic N. In contrast to the limited acceleration at the first harmonic (N = 1) resonance, for the higher harmonic (N>1) resonances, the R–X mode is capable of accelerating electrons from ~10 keV to ~ MeV energies, over a wide range of wave normal angles, in spatial regions extending from the auroral cavity to the latitude (>30 degrees) outer radiation belt. This indicates that higher-order resonance is essentially important for the electron acceleration for the oblique wave propagation.

A 2 1/2-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code is used to investigate the electron acceleration in collisionless magnetic reconnection. The results show that the electrons are accelerated in the diffusion region near the X point, and the acceleration process can be roughly divided into two procedures: firstly the electrons are accelerated in the z direction due to the electric field in the negative z direction. Then the electrons gyrate surrounding the magnetic field with the action of the Lorentz force, through this procedure the electrons reach higher velocity in the x direction and then flow out of the diffusion region. After being accelerated away from the diffusion region, part of electrons is trapped near the O point, and the other part of electrons flows into plasma sheet boundary layer along the magnetic field.

A 2½-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code is used to investigate the wave phenomena in the plasma sheet of collisionless magnetic reconnection. The results show that these waves have the following characteristics: they are right-hand circularity polarized, with propagation direction nearly parallel to local magnetic field, and frequency between 0.07 and 0.17 times of local electron cyclotron frequency. Therefore we conclude that such waves are Whistler waves, and their possible excitation mechanisms are also discussed.

One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are performed to investigate the nonlinear evolution of electromagnetic instabilities excited by the electron temperature anisotropy in homogeneous plasmas with different parameters. The results show that the electron temperature anisotropy can excite the two right-hand electromagnetic instabilities, one has the frequency higher than Ωe, the other is the whistler instability with larger amplitude, and its frequency is below Ωe. Their dispersion relations are consistent with the prediction from the cold plasma theory. In the initial growth stage (prediction from linear theory), the frequency of the dominant mode (the mode whose amplitude is large enough) of the whistler wave almost does not change, but in the saturation stage the situation is different. In the case that the ratio of electron plasma frequency to cyclotron frequency is larger than 1, the frequency of the dominant mode of the whistler wave drifts from high to low continuously. However, for the case of the ratio smaller than 1, besides the original dominant mode of the whistler wave whose frequency is about 2.6ωe, another dominant mode whose frequency is about 1.55ωe also begins to be excited at definite time, and its amplitude increases with time until it exceeds the original dominant mode.

We study the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave propagation in the solar atmosphere consisting of the chromosphere and corona. Pressure enhancement and velocity shear are implemented simultaneously at the bottom of the chromosphere. The global propagation of the incurred MHD waves, including fast-mode and slow-mode magnetoacoustic waves as well as Alfven wave, can be identified. Wave front positions obtained numerically with respect to specific waves fit well with those calculated with local MHD wave speeds.

A 3-dimensional study on Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave propagation in the solar atmosphere consisting of the chromosphere and corona is presented. Pressure enhancement and velocity shear are implemented simultaneously at the bottom of the chromosphere. The global propagation of the incurred MHD waves, including fast and slow mode magnetoacoustic waves, as well as Alfven wave, can be clearly identified.

Electron acceleration by the inductive electric field near the X point in magnetic reconnection is an important generation mechanism for energetic electrons. Particle simulations have revealed that most of energetic electrons reside in the magnetic field line pileup region, and a depletion of energetic electrons can be found near the centre of the diffusion region [Phys. Plasmas, 13 (2006) 012309]. We report direct measurement of energetic electron in and around the ion diffusion region in near-Earth tail by the cluster, and our observations confirm the above predictions: a depletion of the high-energy electron fluxes is detected near the centre of the diffusion region. At the same time, the plasma temperature has a similar profile in the diffusion region.

We first perform a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of anti-parallel magnetic reconnection to verify that in the electron diffusion region the reconnection electric field is mainly balanced by the gradient of the electron pressure. Then, by following typical electron trajectories in the fixed electromagnetic field of anti-parallel reconnection, we calculate the gradient of the electron pressure. We find that the resulted gradient of the electron pressure is equal to the reconnection electric field. This indicates that in the electron diffusion region the reconnection electric field is balanced by the gradient of the electron pressure, which results from the electron nongyrotropic motions. Our result gives a microphysical explanation of the balance between the reconnection electric field and the gradient of the electron pressure.

Recent experiments have observed magnetic reconnection in laser-produced high-energy-density (HED) plasma bubbles. We perform two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to investigate magnetic reconnection between two approaching HED plasma bubbles. It is found that the expanding velocity of the bubbles has a great influence on the process of magnetic reconnection. When the expanding velocity is small, a single X line reconnection is formed. However, when the expanding velocity is sufficiently large, we can observe a plasmoid in the vicinity of the X line. At the same time, the structures of the electromagnetic field in HED plasma reconnection are similar to that in Harris current sheet reconnection.

Previous particle-in-cell simulations have evidenced that supercritical, quasi-perpendicular shocks are non-stationary. By separating the incident ions into reflected (R) and directly transmitted (DT) parts, we investigate the ion distributions in a non-stationary perpendicular shock. The upstream ion distributions have two parts corresponding to the R and incident ions respectively, while the R ions have higher energy. The downstream ions have a corering distribution. The core and ring parts correspond to the DT and R, ions, respectively. The ion distributions depend largely on the non-stationary shock structure. The percentage of the reflected ions cyclically varies in time with a period equal to the shock self-reformation cycle, and the number of the R ions increases with the steepness of the shock ramp.