Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics (Jan 2005)

Quasiadiabatic description of nonlinear particle dynamics in typical magnetotail configurations

  • D. L. Vainchtein,
  • D. L. Vainchtein,
  • J. Büchner,
  • A. I. Neishtadt,
  • L. M. Zelenyi

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 101 – 115

Abstract

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In the present paper we discuss the motion of charged particles in three different regions of the Earth magnetotail: in the region with magnetic field reversal and in the vicinities of neutral line of X- and O-types. The presence of small parameters (ratio of characteristic length scales in and perpendicular to the equatorial plane and the smallness of the electric field) allows us to introduce a hierarchy of motions and use methods of perturbation theory. We propose a parameter that plays the role of a measure of mixing in the system.