Numerical simulation of ion dynamics in the magnetotail magnetic turbulence: On collisionless conductivity

Abstract

Abstract. The ion dynamics in the distant Earth's magnetotail is studied in the case that a cross tail electric field and reconnection parity magnetic turbulence are present in the neutral sheet. A test particle simulation is performed for the ions, and moments of the ion distribution function are obtained as a function of the magnetic fluctuation level, δB/B0, and of the value of the cross tail electric field, Ey. It is found that magnetic turbulence can split the current carrying region into a double current sheet, in agreement with inferences from observations in the distant magnetotail. The problem of ion conductivity is addressed by varying the value of the cross tail electric field from zero to the observed one: we find that Ohm's law is not enforced, and that a non local, system dependent conductivity is necessary to describe the ion response to the electric field. Also, it appears that the relation between current and electric field may be nonlinear.