Equations of State for Collisionless Guide-Field Reconnection
Author(s)
Fox, William R.; Daughton, W.; Katz, Noam Karasov; Egedal-Pedersen, Jan
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Direct in situ observation of magnetic reconnection in the Earth’s magnetotail as well as kinetic numerical studies have recently shown that the electron pressure in a collisionless reconnection region is strongly anisotropic. This anisotropy is mainly caused by the trapping of electrons in parallel electric fields. We present new equations of state for the parallel and perpendicular pressures for magnetized electrons. This model—derived here and tested against a kinetic simulation—allows a fluid description in a collisionless regime where parallel electric fields and the dynamics of both passing and trapped electrons are essential.
Date issued
2009-02Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Plasma Science and Fusion CenterJournal
Physical Review Letters
Publisher
American Physical Society
Citation
Le, A. et al. “Equations of State for Collisionless Guide-Field Reconnection.” Physical Review Letters 102.8 (2009): 085001. © 2009 The American Physical Society.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0031-9007