Crescent-shaped electron velocity distribution functions formed at the edges of plasma jets interacting with a tangential discontinuity
<p>In this paper we discuss numerical simulations that illustrate a physical mechanism leading to the formation of crescent-shaped electron velocity distribution functions at the edges of a high-speed plasma jet impacting on a thin, steep and impenetrable tangential discontinuity with no ma...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-11-01
|
| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/36/1521/2018/angeo-36-1521-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>In this paper we discuss numerical simulations that illustrate a physical
mechanism leading to the formation of crescent-shaped electron velocity
distribution functions at the edges of a high-speed plasma jet impacting on a
thin, steep and impenetrable tangential discontinuity with no magnetic shear.
We use three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to compute the velocity
distribution function of electrons in different areas of the plasma jet and
at different phases of the interaction with the discontinuity. The simulation
set-up corresponds to an idealized, yet relevant, magnetic configuration
likely to be observed at the frontside magnetopause under the northward
interplanetary magnetic field. The combined effect of the gradient-B drift
and the remote sensing of large Larmor radius electrons leads to the
formation of crescent-shaped electron velocity distribution functions. We
provide examples of such distributions <q>measured</q> by a virtual satellite
launched into the simulation domain.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |