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The beta of a plasma, symbolized by β, is the ratio of the plasma pressure (p = n k B T) to the magnetic pressure (p mag = B 2 /2μ 0). The term is commonly used in studies of the Sun and Earth's magnetic field, and in the field of fusion power designs. In the fusion power field, plasma is often confined using strong magnets.
If the pressure from particles within the magnetosphere is neglected, it is possible to estimate the distance to the part of the magnetosphere that faces the Sun.The condition governing this position is that the dynamic ram pressure from the solar wind is equal to the magnetic pressure from the Earth's magnetic field: [note 1] (()) where and are the density and velocity of the solar wind, and ...
The two-stream instability is a very common instability in plasma physics. It can be induced by an energetic particle stream injected in a plasma, or setting a current along the plasma so different species (ions and electrons) can have different drift velocities.
The plasmasphere, or inner magnetosphere, is a region of the Earth's magnetosphere consisting of low-energy (cool) plasma. It is located above the ionosphere . The outer boundary of the plasmasphere is known as the plasmapause , which is defined by an order of magnitude drop in plasma density.
The exact formulation is as follows. Consider two systems, 1 and 2, in thermal contact, with respective energies E 1 and E 2. We assume E 1 + E 2 = some constant E. The number of microstates of each system will be denoted by Ω 1 and Ω 2. Under our assumptions Ω i depends only on E i.
If the current density is identically zero, then the magnetic field is the gradient of a magnetic scalar potential: B = − ∇ ϕ . {\displaystyle \mathbf {B} =-\nabla \phi .} The substitution of this into ∇ ⋅ B = 0 {\displaystyle \nabla \cdot \mathbf {B} =0} results in Laplace's equation , ∇ 2 ϕ = 0 , {\displaystyle \nabla ^{2}\phi =0 ...
Schematic of the Birkeland or Field-Aligned Currents and the ionospheric current systems they connect to, Pedersen and Hall currents. [1]A Birkeland current (also known as field-aligned current, FAC) is a set of electrical currents that flow along geomagnetic field lines connecting the Earth's magnetosphere to the Earth's high latitude ionosphere.
Magnetic sail animation. A magnetic sail is a proposed method of spacecraft propulsion where an onboard magnetic field source interacts with a plasma wind (e.g., the solar wind) to form an artificial magnetosphere (similar to Earth's magnetosphere) that acts as a sail, transferring force from the wind to the spacecraft requiring little to no propellant as detailed for each proposed magnetic ...