A detailed investigation of the properties of a Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium for the force-free Harris sheet
Abstract
A detailed discussion is presented of the Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium for the force-free Harris sheet recently found by Harrison and Neukirch [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 135003 (2009)]. The derivation of the distribution function and a discussion of its general properties and their dependence on the distribution function parameters will be given. In particular, the distribution function can be single-peaked or multipeaked in two of the velocity components, with possible implications for stability. The dependence of the shape of the distribution function on the values of its parameters will be investigated and the relation to macroscopic quantities such as the current sheet thickness will be discussed.
Citation
Neukirch , T , Wilson , F & Harrison , M G 2009 , ' A detailed investigation of the properties of a Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium for the force-free Harris sheet ' , Physics of Plasmas , vol. 16 , no. 12 , 122102 . https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3268771
Publication
Physics of Plasmas
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1070-664XType
Journal article
Rights
Copyright (2009) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The published article may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3268771
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