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Plasma heating at collisionless shocks due to the kinetic cross-field streaming instabilityHeating at collisionless shocks due to the kinetic cross-field streaming instability, which is the finite beta (ratio of plasma to magnetic pressure) extension of the modified two stream instability, is studied. Heating rates are derived from quasi-linear theory and compared with results from particle simulations to show that electron heating relative to ion heating and heating parallel to the magnetic field relative to perpendicular heating for both the electrons and ions increase with beta. The simulations suggest that electron dynamics determine the saturation level of the instability, which is manifested by the formation of a flattop electron distribution parallel to the magnetic field. As a result, both the saturation levels of the fluctuations and the heating rates decrease sharply with beta. Applications of these results to plasma heating in simulations of shocks and the earth's bow shock are described.
Document ID
19850036964
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Winske, D.
(Los Alamos Scientific Lab. NM, United States)
Quest, K. B.
(Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, NM, United States)
Tanaka, M.
(Hiroshima University Hiroshima, Japan)
Wu, C. S.
(Maryland, University College Park, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 90
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Accession Number
85A19115
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-81
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS10-23726
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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