Kinetic theory of the current sheath. II. Effect of polarization on the stability of a current sheath

A procedure for investigating the stability of a current sheath, taking into account the effect of plasma polarization, is offered. The kinetic equation with a self-consistent electromagnetic field for perturbation of the distribution function is solved. On the basis of this solution, the tensor of dielectric permeability for a non-electroneutral current sheath plasma is calculated, and the dispersion equation for the study of possible instability modes of this current sheath is obtained. The instability of the current sheath of the magnetospheric tail with respect to tearing perturbations, and the influence of the effect of plasma polarization on the development of tearing instability, are investigated.     

Kinetic theory of the current sheath. I. On polarization of an equilibrium current sheath

The basic theme of this paper is the investigation of the polarizing electric fields caused by anisotropy of thermal plasma of a current sheath. The paper provides a generalization of the equilibrium distribution function of the current sheath (Harris function) to the case of temperature anisotropy of plasma along and across the sheath. It appears that solution of the electroneutral equilibrium represents a narrow class of solutions and is true only for certain relations between the parameters of the problem. In the general case, the plasma of a stationary current sheath is polarized. The structure of the current sheath of a magnetosphere tail is investigated with regard to the effect of polarization, and profiles of the polarization electric fields are obtained. This field should be taken into account in the study of current sheath stability.     

About the equilibrium and stability of the magnetopause

This paper offers a model of the magnetopause based on the theory of the contact discontinuity; the boundary layer between the two states of space plasma. The structure of the magnetopause is explored for the effects of polarization, and the profiles of the polarizing electrostatic field are obtained.     

About the equilibrium and stability of non-electroneutral current sheaths

In this paper, we prove the necessity of using the Cauchy problem, i.e., initial value problem, for solving the equilibrium (steady state) current sheet. In this connection, it appears that equilibrium current sheaths exhibit structural instability.