Generation of electrostatic solitary waves in the plasma sheet boundary layer

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 2011-10, Vol.116 (A10), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Lakhina, G. S., Singh, S. V., Kakad, A. P., Pickett, J. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atmospheric sciences; Boundary layers; broadband electrostatic noise; Electric fields; electron-acoustic double layers; electron-acoustic solitons; electrostatic solitary structures; Magnetism; nonlinear waves; Plasma physics; plasma sheet boundary layer; Solitary waves; Space
• ISSN: 0148-0227; 2169-9380; 2156-2202; 2169-9402
• DOI: 10.1029/2011JA016700

Generation of electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) in the plasma sheet boundary layer in terms of electron‐acoustic solitons and double layers is proposed. The plasma sheet boundary layer is treated as a multicomponent magnetized plasma consisting of background electrons, counter‐streaming electron beams and ions. The model is based on the multifluid equations and the Poisson equation, and uses the Sagdeev pseudo‐potential technique. For the plasma parameters at the time of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet boundary layer observed by Cluster on 22 September 2004, the model predicts solitons/double layer with electric field ∼(0.01–30) mV/m with time durations ∼(0.1–4.5) ms. Such short electric field pulses, when Fourier transformed to the frequency domain, can appear as broadband electrostatic noise in the frequency range of ∼220 Hz to 10 kHz. It is proposed that the model can be a good candidate for explaining the generation of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Key Points A novel explanation for BEN observed in the PSBL region by Cluster BEN generation in terms of electron‐acoustic solitons and double layers BEN in the frequency range of 220 Hz to 10 kHz can be generated in PSBL region