A Hall dynamo effect driven by two-fluid tearing instability

V. V. Mirnov, C. C. Hegna, S. C. Prager

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19 Scopus citations

Abstract

A quasi-linear prediction of the two-fluid dynamo effect is analyzed with the use of tearing eigen-functions obtained for force-free equilibrium. In the range of parameters of practical interest, the basic shear Alfvén mode is decoupled from fast compressional Alfvén and slow magneto-acoustic modes. Kinetic Alfvén modification of the shear Alfvén wave drives an instability with a growth rate ∝δ1/3ρ s2/3, where δ is the electron skin depth and ρs is the ion-sound gyroradius. A net dynamo effect parallel to the magnetic field is calculated at ρs ≫ δ for large values of the stability factor Δ′ ρs1/3 δ2/3 ≫ 1. The dynamo effect caused by the j × B Hall term dominates the contribution from the v × B term (the alpha effect) by a factor ∝(ρs/δ)2 in the narrow electron layer, while in the broader ion layer these contributions are comparable. The results are compared with the case of a strong guiding field where ρ s ≫ δ and the tearing instability is described by resistive MHD.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)566-570
Number of pages5
JournalPlasma Physics Reports
Volume29
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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