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Generalized Kinetic Description of Steady-State Collisionless PlasmasWe present a general solution to the collisionless Boltzmann (Vlasov) equation for a free-flowing plasma along a magnetic field line using Liouville's theorem, allowing for an arbitrary potential structure including non-monotonicities. The constraints of the existing collisionless kinetic transport models are explored, and the need for a more general approach to the problem of self- consistent potential energy calculations is described. Then a technique that handles an arbitrary potential energy distribution along the field line is presented and discussed. For precipitation of magnetospherically trapped hot plasma, this model yields moment calculations that vary by up to a factor of two for various potential energy structures with the same total potential drop. The differences are much greater for the high-latitude outflow scenario, giving order of magnitude variations depending on the shape of the potential energy distribution.
Document ID
19990064233
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Khazanov, G. V.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Liemohn, M. W.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Krivorutsky, E. N.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1997
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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