GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 28, NO.

11, PAGES 2177-2180, JUNE 1, 2001

Electric Field and Plasma Flow: What Drives What?

Vytenis M. Vasylifinas
Max-Planck-Institut fiir Aeronomie,Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

Abstract. The MHD approximation connects the Basic Approach

plasma bulk flow velocity and the electric field, but it
doesnot say whether one of them can be consideredas What makesit possibleto discusssuchquestionson
causingor producing the other, and if so, which one. the basisof purelyphysicalrather than philosophicalor
This questionis often viewedas one having no unam- semanticargumentsis a remarkableproperty of classical
biguousanswerand possiblyno physicalmeaning. How- (non-quantum)physics:all of its governingequations,
ever, a definite answercan be obtained by solvingthe exceptfor three, can be written in the evolutionaryform
basicequationswith appropriate initial values,with the
result that, for the commonlyconsideredcasewhere the
OQk/Ot = Fk(Q1, Q2, Q3, ...) (2)
Alfv6nspeedis smallcomparedto the speedof light, (1) wherethe Q's are all the quantitiesdescribingthe sys-
a givenplasmabulk flow producesan electricfield, (2) tem and the F's are functions of the Q's and their spa-
a given electric field does not produce a plasma bulk tial derivativesat a given time. The three exceptions
flow. The generalresult can alsobe derivedas a simple are the divergenceequationsof the electromagneticand
consequence of conservingthe total (plasmaplus elec- gravitational fields,
tromagneticfield) linear momentum.
V .E = 4•rpc
Introduction V-B = 0 (3)
The MHD approximation V-g = -4•rGp.

cE + V x B = 0, (1) The significance

of this formulation(sofamiliar asto be
hardly ever mentioned explicitly in textbooks; it was
widely applied in many situations in plasma physics, impressed on me by my thesis supervisor at M.I.T.,
implies a one-to-one relation between the electric field Prof. StanislawOlbert) is that all the time derivatives
E and the bulk flow velocity of the plasma ¾: given are determined, solely and completely,by valuesat the
the value of either one, the other must have the cor- presenttime. Furthermore, any initial conditionswhat-
respondingvalue given by (1). By itself, however,the soever,provided only that they satisfy the divergence
relation does not say whether either one may be re- equations(3), can be imaginedat an instant of time
garded as causingor producingthe other in a physical (but only at that instant),and the equationswill then
sense an infrequently raised question that does not determine what happensat all other times. The ques-
seemto have a generally acceptedanswer. Often, lan- tion in the title of this Letter can thus be answeredby
guagethat presupposesa specificanswer is used in pa- meansof two thought experiments:at the initial instant
perscasuallyand uncritically(e.g. "...the electricfields
assume,in one casean electric field but no plasma bulk
that giverise to burstyflows..." [Lyonset al., 1999]). flow, in the other a flow but no electric field, and use
When the question is explicitly asked, a common re- the equationsto determine the subsequentevolution of
ply is that there is really no unique, physicallymean- field and flow in both cases(needless to say,the exact
ingful answer: it's largely semantics,it all dependson equations must be used and not the MHD approxima-
what approach to describingplasmas one has adopted tion).
and what one's views are in the ongoing controversy
[Parker,1996, 1997,2000;Heikkila,1997;Lui, 2000]on Mathematical Development
whether the magnetic field and the plasma flow or the
electric current and the electric field are to be treated Considera systemthat initially is homogeneous with
asthe primaryvariables.In this Letter I showthat, on uniform magnetic field B and plasma with mass den-
the contrary, the question is not one of semanticsnor sity p and electronconcentrationn. Spatial homogene-
of choiceof paradigm but can be given a definite and ity is assumednot just for simplicity but also to ensure
unambiguousanswerfrom the equationsof physics. that the looked-for role of the electric field in produc-
ing the flow is not swampedby the potentially much
largereffectsof stresses
fromgradients.To excludeany
Copyright2001 by the AmericanGeophysicalUnion. influencefrom boundary conditions,the initially homo-
Papernumber2001GL013014. geneoussystemis taken to extend out to a distanceR2
0094-8276/01/2001GL013014505.00 from the origin, but we will be interestedonly in the re-
2177
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2178 VASYLIUNAS: ELECTRIC FIELD AND PLASMA FLOW

gion out to R• • R2 and in the time interval 0 •_ t <• •-, a - 0 (11)

where
• - (R•- R•)/c (4)
dJ/dt - (wp2/4•r)(Eo
+ V0 x B/c)
so that no physicaleffectsfrom the boundary have had The componentof (9) alongB is
time to reach the region of interest. Since light trav-
els a distanceof 2•r•e in one plasma oscillationperiod, d2Jii/dt
• + wp•'Jii
- 0 (12)
where•e is the electroninertiallength(collision!essskin
depth), and sinceR• and R2 -R• must be very large
whose
solution
subjectto (11)is JII- 0. Thesolution
for the perpendicularcomponentscan be obtainedby
compared to •e for MHD to be applicable at all, the
standardFourieranalysistechniques,
yieldingwith the
time interval •' is very long comparedto the period of
initial conditions(11)
plasmaoscillations,whichturns out to be amply ade-
quate for our purpose. J - Jx(sinw+t+ sinw_t) + J• x b(cosw+t- cosw_t)
Assume as initial conditions at time t - 0 the current
(13)
density J - 0, E - E0, and V - V0, where E0 and where
¾0 are perpendicularto B but otherwisearbitrary and
do not satisfyequation(1). The equationsgoverning a• = [wp2/4•r(w+ + •v-)](E0+ V0 x B/c) , (14)
the evolutionof the systemare (in Gaussianunits and
standardnotation) b is the unit vectoralongB, and the characteristicfre-
quenciesw+ and w_ are given by
OB/Ot = -V x cE (5)
wñ- (wp
2+ flifl• + f12•/4)
•/2+ 12e/2. (15)
OE/Ot- -4•rJ + V x cB (6)
OJ/Ot- (ne2/ra)(E+V x B/c-J xB/nec)+... (7) Not surprisingly,
theseare the frequencies
givenby the
dispersionrelation for wavesin coldplasmasin the limit
OV/Ot- J x B/pc+... (s) of infinitewavelength
[seee.g.Stix,1962]).
(plus continuity equationswhich turn out to be un- Given the solutionfor J, solutionsfor E and V are
necessaryin the presentcase). Equations(5) and (6) obtainedby integrating(6) and (8), respectively,
with
the results
are Maxwell's equations and hence exact. Equation
(7) is the generalizedOhm's law [seee.g. Rossiand
Olbert,1970] and (8) the momentumequationfor a
E-Em- 4•/ dtJ (16)
two-component plasmaof electrons(massm) and ions
(massM, p -nM); both are exactexceptfor neglect- V- Vm
-(B/pc)x/dta (17)
ing terms of order ra/M and writing +-.. for all the where
spatial-derivativeterms (pressuregradients,etc.).
Becauseof the assumedinitial spatial homogeneity,
at t - 0 all the spatial derivatives vanish, including
/ ata - +

V x E and V x B. The time derivatives are then the
sameat all pointswithin the regionunderconsideration,
and spatial homogeneityis therefore preservedat later
times as well. This impliesthat V x E and V x B remain
zero, henceby (5) B remainsconstant. (For the same
reason of spatial homogeneity,densitiesdo not change
and the continuityequationsare not needed.)To solve
for E, J, and V, which are now functionsof time only,
differentiate(7), use (6) and (8) to eliminatethe time
derivatives of E and V, and obtain an equation for J
alone:
aa/at + + + aa/at x
wherecvpis the (electron)plasmafrequencyand V• the
Alfv•n speed;note that
•p2VA2/½2
-- •i•e (10)
with •i, F/ethe ion and electrongyrofrequencies.Equa-
tion (9) is to be solvedsubjectto the initial valuesat
t-0
+ J1 x b[(sinw+t)/w+- (sinw_t)/w_] (18)
is the oscillating(zeromean)functionobtainedby inte-
grating (13), and Era, Vm are the steadymean values
resultingfrom choosingthe constantsof integrationto
give the assumedinitial values:
Em- [(VA21c2)Eo
- V0 x BIc]t(1+ VA21C
2) (19)
Vm -- [Vo•-(VA21½2)½Eo
x BIB211(1+VA21C2)
. (20)
In most applications within space plasma physics,
V,4• / c• <<1.
0
Results
We have now obtained the solutionsdescribingthe
behavior of a locally homogeneousplasma after arbi-
trary initial values of the perpendicularelectric field
and plasmabulk flow, not satisfyingthe MHD approx-
imation (1), have been imposed. J, E, and V all un-
dergo oscillationsat frequenciesjust above the plasma
frequency;in addition, E and ¾ assumemean valuesre-
 19448007, 2001, 11, Downloaded from https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2001GL013014 by Algeria Hinari NPL, Wiley Online Library on [09/12/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
VASYLI(YNAS' ELECTRIC FIELD AND PLASMA FLOW 2179

lated to the initial valuesby (19) and (20). It is easily The main result of this Letter, that under the usual
verified that the mean valuessatisfythe MHD approx- conditions
ofV.42/c
a <<I anelectric
fielddoesnotpro-
imation (1), as expected. ducea significantplasmabulk flow whereasa flow does
Consider, as special cases,the two extremes: produce an electri:cfield, is thus simply a consequence
(1) Initially only an electricfield E0 is imposedand of momentum conservationplus the fact that the linear
no flow: the resulting mean values are momentum in the electromagneticfield is very small
compared to that in the plasma bulk flow.
Em= (VA2/C2)Eo/(1
+ VAtiC•) (21)
Vm = (VA•/C•)(cEo
x BIBS)/(1+ VAtiC
•) (22) Discussion

The mean electric field has been reduced to a small Although the MHD relation betweenthe electricfield
and the plasma bulk flow treats both quantities on an
fractionVAtiC• of the initialvalue(theinstantaneous
equal footing, they can be distinguished,as shownin
field oscillatesbetweenthe initial value and, very nearly,
its negative),and only a correspondingly
small plasma this Letter, by positing an initial state with only one
flow has been created. of the two present and then using the basic equations
(2) Initially only a plasmabulk flow V0 is imposed to follow the subsequentdevelopment of both. This
and no electric field: the resulting mean valuesare method, based strictly on physicswith no referenceto
any philosophicalor choice-of-paradigm considerations,
Em= -(V0 x B/c)/(1 + VAa/C •) (23) unambiguoslyidentifiesone of the two as producingthe
other. As long as the inertia of the plasmais dominated
= v0/(1 + by the rest massof the plasmaparticlesand not by the
The mean flow has remained at nearly its initial value, relativistic energy-equivalentmassof the magneticfield
and a mean electricfield equalto -V x B/c has been (thatis thesignificance of therelationV.42/c • << 1),
created (the instantaneousfield oscillatesbetweenits flows produce electric fields, but electric fields do not
initial valueof zero and twice its mean value). produce flows, in a precisely defined sense: if one starts
with plasma flow and no electric field, the flow contin-
Alternative Derivation From Conservation
,,
of uesand the electricfield appears(with the mean value
Momentum requiredby MHD) on a time scaledefinedessentiallyby
theplasmafre.quency,
whereas
if onestartswithanelec-
A much simpler derivation of the mean values,which, tric field and no plasma flow, the electric field simply
moreover,makestheir physicalmeaning more apparent,
dissolves
intoplasmawaves
(withnearlyzeromean)and
becomes
possibleif we assumethat, •vhateverthe ini- no appkeciableflow appears. The reasonfor this is sim-
tial valuesof E and V, their final mean values satisfy ple' bulk flow carries linear momentum and thus can
theMHD approximation (1). Thelinearmomentumbe produced only by adding linear momentum to the
density is plasma, which is done by stressesacting on the plasma;
- pV + E x adding the momentum density of the electromagnetic
where the first term representsthe momentum of field, the solecontribution from the mere presenceof the
plasma bulk flow and the secondthat of the electro- electric field,hasa negligible effectif V.4•/c• <<1. (If
magneticfield. When E and V are related by the the electric field is externally applied and maintained,
MHD approximation (1)?them•mentum density can e.g. by a voltage on capacitor plates immersed in the
be rewrittenin two equival.entforms ' plasma, the flow obviously has been produced not by
the electricfield itself but by the Lorentzforceof the
G - pV(l+V•t2/c•) currentsthat had to be suppliedin order to offset the
polarizationof the plasmaand maintain the plate volt-
= (E x B/47c)(1+c•lV.4•). (26) age.)
One implication of the results reported here is that
In thepresent case,spatiallqomogeheity impliesthat severalexpressions commonlyusedin discussions of the
linear momentumis conservedlocally,and thereforethe magnetosphere,e.g. "...electricfieldsgive rise to bursty
initialvalue(given
by(2• ;•ithttieinitialE0andV0) flows..." or "...magnetosphericconvectionis driven by
mustequalthe finalvalue(givenby eitherformof (26) an electric field penetrating in from the solar wind..."
withthemeanEmanalV,•), whichyieldsexpressions (someproblemswith the latter havebeen discussed by
forEmandVm identical wi•;h(19)and(20). Parker[1996])areinappropriate anddistortthe under-
Whateverlinearm0•entumhasbeenimposed onthe lying physics. Admittedly, such expressionsare often
plasmainitiallymust,in the final MHD regime,be usedsuperfluously,in contextswhere only the associa-
sharedbetween electromagnetic
•fieldand.plasmabulk tion and not the causal connection of the electric field
ß

flowin the ratio givenby (26) as and the plasma flow is meant, and may therefore be
judged inaccurate but harmless. Where the question
(E x B/4•rc)/pV- V.42/c
•. (27) of what drives what arises, however, one must be pre-
 19448007, 2001, 11, Downloaded from https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2001GL013014 by Algeria Hinari NPL, Wiley Online Library on [09/12/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
2180 VASYLIUNAS' ELECTRIC FIELD AND PLASMA FLOW

cise. The electric fields are consequencesof the flows; Lyons, L. R. T. Nagai, G. T. Blanchard, J. C. Samson,T.
to explain the flows themselves,stressimbalancesand Yamamoto, T. Mukai, A. Nishida, S. Kokubun, Associa-
resultant accelerations must be looked for. tion betweenGeotail plasma flows and auroral poleward
boundary intensificationsobservedby CANOPUS pho-
tometers, J. Geophys.Res., 10•, 4485-4500, 1999.
Acknowledgments. I am grateful to Stanislaw O1-
Parker, E. N., The alternativeparadigmfor magnetospheric
bert for teachingme the view of classicalphysicsembodied physics,J. Geophys.Res., 101, 10587-10625, 1996.
in (2), to ThomasW. Hill, RichardA. Wolf, and other mem-
Parker, E. N., Reply, J. Geophys.Res., 102, 9657-9658,
bers of the spaceplasma group at Rice University (where 1997.
this work was presentedin a seminar)for usefulcomments, Parker, E. N., Newton, Maxwell, and magnetospheric
in particular for emphasizingthe importance of the Hall
physics,in MagnetosphericCurrent Systems,edited by
term in (7), and to JamesF. McKenzie for suggestingim- S.-I. Ohtani, R. Fujii, M. Hesse,and R. L. Lysak, pp. 1-
provements of presentation.
10, AGU Geophysical
Monograph118,Washington,D.C.,
2000.
References Rossi, B., and S. Olbert, Introduction to the Physics of
Space,p. 347, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1970.
Heikkila, W. J., Comment on "The alternative paradigm Stix, T. H., The Theory of Plasma Waves,p. 32, McGraw-
for magnetosphericphysics"by E. N. Parker, J. Geophys. Hill, New York, 1962.
Res., 102, 9651-9656, 1997.
Lui, A. T. Y., Electric current approachto magnetospheric
physics and the distinction between current disruption Vytenis M. Vasylifinas, Max-Planck-Institut
and magnetic reconnection, in Magnetospheric Current f/Jr Aeronomie,D-37191 Katlenburg-Lindau,Germany (e-
Systems,edited by S.-I. Ohtani, R. Fujii, M. Hesse,and mail vasyliunas@linmpi.mpg.de).
R. L. Lysak, pp. 31-40, AGU GeophysicalMonograph
118, Washington, D.C., 2000. (ReceivedFebruary13, 2001;acceptedMarch21, 2001.)