SH21A-2367
A Low Beta and Exact Kinetic Equilibrium for a 1D Nonlinear Force-Free field
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Oliver Allanson1, Thomas Neukirch2, Fiona Wilson3 and Sascha Troscheit1, (1)University of St Andrews, School of Mathematics & Statistics, St Andrews, United Kingdom, (2)University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16, United Kingdom, (3)University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
Abstract:
We present results regarding 1D nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxell (VM) equilibria, in particular for the force-free Harris sheet (FFHS). All the known equilibria of this type - including those for the FFHS - have plasma-beta values greater than one, due to the specific way in which they have been constructed. Using transformation techniques we construct VM equilibria for the FFHS that can have plasma-beta values smaller than one. Some properties of the newly found equilibrium distribution functions will be discussed. Possible applications would be studies of collisionless magnetic reconnection, kinetic instabilities and other phenomena in space and astrophysical plasma.
