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On the energy principle and ion tearing in the magnetotailWe re-examine the use of the energy principle as applied to the tearing instability in the magnetotail. We demonstrate that when a magnetic field component normal to the current sheet is present, electron pitch-angle diffusion (PAD) either by micro-turbulence or by chaotic orbits cannot remove the strong stabilization of the tearing mode caused by electron compressibility. We find that our conclusions are in agreement with those of Pellat et al. (1991), who argued on the basis of canonical P(sub y) conservation that the stabilization of the ion tearing mode cannot be removed by the introduction of PAD. Our results are at variance with those of Kuznetsova and Zelenyi (1991), who argued that the application of the energy principle used by Pellat et al. (1991) is incorrect, and that tearing is in fact unstable in the limit of strong PAD. We show that the disagreement between these two studies can be traced to an incorrect orbit evaluation first introduced by Coroniti (1980) and subnsequently used by Kuznetsova and Zelenyi (1991).
Document ID
19950048771
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Brittnacher, M.
(Univ. of California, San Diego, CA United States)
Quest, K. B.
(Univ. of California, San Diego, CA United States)
Karimabadi, H.
(Univ. of California, San Diego, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 15, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 21
Issue: 15
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
95A80370
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1492
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGT-50935
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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