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The stability of charged-particle motion in sheared magnetic reversals

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Tsalas, M., Chapman, Sandra C. and Rowlands, G. (George). (2001) The stability of charged-particle motion in sheared magnetic reversals. Journal of Plasma Physics, Vol.65 (No.4). pp. 331-352. ISSN 0022-3778

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0022377801001039

Abstract

We consider the motion of charged particles in a static magnetic reversal with a shear component, which has application for the stability of current sheets, such as in the Earth's geotail and in solar flares. We examine how the topology of the phase space changes as a function of the shear component by. At zero by, the phase space may be characterized by regions of stochastic and regular orbits (KAM surfaces). Numerically, we find that as we vary by, the position of the periodic orbit at the centre of the KAM surfaces changes. We use multiple-timescale perturbation theory to predict this variation analytically. We also find that for some values of by, all the KAM surfaces are destroyed owing to a resonance effect between two timescales, making the phase space globally chaotic. By investigating the stability of the solutions in the vicinity of the fixed point, we are able to predict for what values of by this happens and when the KAM surfaces reappear.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QC Physics

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Physics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Particles (Nuclear physics), Plasma physics, Topology, Phase space (Statistical physics), Perturbation (Mathematics)

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of Plasma Physics

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

ISSN:

0022-3778

Official Date:

May 2001

Dates:

Date	Event
May 2001	Published

Volume:

Vol.65

Number:

No.4

Page Range:

pp. 331-352

Identification Number:

10.1017/S0022377801001039

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

References:

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