Abstract
The electron surfing acceleration in the current sheet with perpendicular propagating electrostatic waves is studied using analytical theories and test particle simulations. The trapped electron moving with the phase velocity v p of wave may be accelerated effectively in the outflow direction by \({{ev_{p}}\over c}\times B_{z}\) force until the electron is de-trapped from the wave potential. A criterion K>0 for the electron surfing acceleration is obtained. The electron will escape from the boundary of current sheet quickly, if this criterion does not hold. The maximum velocity of surfing acceleration is about the same as the electric drift velocity. Superposed longitudinal magnetic field along the wave propagation is favorable for the electron surfing acceleration in the current sheet.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bale, S.D., Mozer, F.S., Phan, T.: Geophys. Res. Lett. 29 (2002). doi:10.1029/2002GL016113
Birdsall, C.K., Langdonm, A.B. (eds.): Plasma Physics via Computer Simulation. McGraw–Hill, New York (1985)
Browning, P.K., Vekstein, G.E.: J. Geophys. Res. 106, 18677 (2001)
Dawson, J.M., Decyk, V.K., Huff, R.W., Jechart, I., Katsouleas, T., Leboeuf, J.N., Lembege, B., Martinez, R.M., Ohsawa, Y., Ratliff, S.T.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 50, 1455 (1983)
Drake, J.K., Swisdak, M., Cattell, C., Shay, M.A., Rogers, N.B., Zeiler, A.: Science 299, 873 (2003)
Drake, J.K., Swisdak, M., Che, H., Shay, M.A.: Nature 443, 553 (2006)
Farrell, W.M., Desch, M.D., Kaiser, M.L., Geotz, K.: Geophys. Res. Lett. 29 (2002). doi:10.1029/2002GL014662
Fu, X.M., Lu, Q.M., Wang, S.: Phys. Plasmas 13, 012309 (2006)
Himilton, B., McClements, K.G., Fletcher, L., Thyagaraja, A.: Astrophys. J. 625, 496 (2003)
Horiuchi, R., Sato, T.: Phys. Plasmas 6, 4565 (1999)
Hoshino, M.: J. Geophys. Res. 110, A10215 (2005). doi:10.1029/2005JA011229
Imada, S., Hoshino, M., Mukai, T.: Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, L09101 (2005). doi:10.1029/2005GL022594
Katsouleas, T., Dawson, J.M.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 392 (1983)
Labelle, J.A., Treumann, R.: Space Sci. Rev. 47, 175 (1988)
Litvinenko, Y.E., Somov, B.V.: Solar Phys. 146, 127 (1993)
Øieroset, M., Lin, R.P., Plan, T.D., Larson, D.E., Sale, S.D.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 195001 (2002)
Pritchett, P.L.: J. Geophys. Res. 111, A10212 (2006). doi:10.1029/2006JA011793
Speiser, T.W.: J. Geophys. Res. 70, 4219 (1965)
Sugihara, R., Takeuchi, S., Sakai, K., Matsumoto, M.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 1500 (1984)
Zhong, D.K., Wei, F.S., Feng, X.S., Yang, F.: Chin. Phys. Lett. 22, 3225 (2005)
Zhu, Z.W., Parks, G.: J. Geophys. Res. 98, 7603 (1993)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, DY., Lu, QM. Electron surfing acceleration by electrostatic waves in current sheet. Astrophys Space Sci 312, 103–111 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-007-9658-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-007-9658-6