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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 109, A11213, doi:10.1029/2004JA010555, 2004

Model of ion- or electron-dominated current sheet

Peter H. Yoon

Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA


Anthony T. Y. Lui

Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, USA


Abstract

The present report discusses a current sheet model constructed on the time-independent Vlasov equation, which can depict either an ion- or electron-dominated current sheet, with the classic Harris solution as a special case. It is shown that approximate analytical solution compares extremely well with the exact numerical solution.

Received 23 April 2004; accepted 16 August 2004; published 19 November 2004.

Keywords: non-Harris; ion-dominated; electron-dominated; embedded current sheet.

Index Terms: 2764 Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma sheet; 2744 Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetotail; 2708 Magnetospheric Physics: Current systems (2409); 7835 Space Plasma Physics: Magnetic reconnection.


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Citation: Yoon, P. H., and A. T. Y. Lui (2004), Model of ion- or electron-dominated current sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 109, A11213, doi:10.1029/2004JA010555.