Force-free collisionless current sheet models with non-uniform temperature and density profiles

Wilson, F., Neukirch, T. and Allanson, O. (2017) Force-free collisionless current sheet models with non-uniform temperature and density profiles. Physics of Plasmas, 24 (9). 092105. ISSN 1070-664X doi: 10.1063/1.4997703

Abstract/Summary

We present a class of one-dimensional, strictly neutral, Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium distribution functions for force-free current sheets, with magnetic fields defined in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions, extending the results of Abraham-Shrauner [Phys. Plasmas 20, 102117 (2013)] to allow for non-uniform density and temperature profiles. To achieve this, we use an approach previously applied to the force-free Harris sheet by Kolotkov et al. [Phys. Plasmas 22, 112902 (2015)]. In one limit of the parameters, we recover the model of Kolotkov et al. [Phys. Plasmas 22, 112902 (2015)], while another limit gives a linear force-free field. We discuss conditions on the parameters such that the distribution functions are always positive and give expressions for the pressure, density, temperature, and bulk-flow velocities of the equilibrium, discussing the differences from previous models. We also present some illustrative plots of the distribution function in velocity space.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/72309
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	AIP Publishing
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item