Abstract
It is shown by using a 2-D fully relativistic electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code that the tearing instability in a current sheet of pair plasmas is caused by Landau resonances of both electrons and positrons. Strong magnetic flux can be generated during coalescence of magnetic islands in the nonlinear phase of the tearing instability. The magnetic flux produced in an O-type magnetic island is caused from the counter-streaming instability found by Kazimura et al. (1998). It is also shown that charge separation with a quadrupole-like structure is generated from the localized strong magnetic flux. During the decay of the quadrupole-like charge structure as well as the magnetic flux, there appear wave emission with high-frequency electromagnetic waves and Alfven waves as well as Langmuir waves. We also show by using a 3-D PIC code that current filaments associated with the O-type magnetic islands become unstable against the kink instability during the coalescence of current filaments.
| Original language | English |
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| Journal | Physica Scripta |
| Volume | T84 |
| Pages (from-to) | 42-46 |
| ISSN | 0281-1847 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | International Topical Conference on Plasma Physics: New Frontiers in Nonlinear Sciences - University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal Duration: 6 Sept 1999 → 10 Sept 1999 |
Conference
| Conference | International Topical Conference on Plasma Physics |
|---|---|
| Location | University of Algarve |
| Country/Territory | Portugal |
| City | Faro |
| Period | 06/09/1999 → 10/09/1999 |