Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics of Single-Particle Orbits in a Magnetotail-Like Magnetic Field.

Abstract : The properties of charged-particle motion in Hamiltonian dynamics are studied in a magnetotail-like magnetic field configuration. It is shown by numerical integration of the equation of motion that the system is generally nonintegrable and that the particle motion can be classified into three distinct types of orbits; the bounded integrable orbits, unbounded stochastic orbits and unbounded transient orbits. It is also shown that different regions of the phase space exhibit qualitatively different response to external influences. The concept of differential memory in single-particle distributions is proposed. Physical implications to the dynamical properties of the magnetotail plasmas, and the possible generation of non-Maxwellian features in the distribution function are discussed. Keywords: Chaos; Hamiltonian dynamics; Magnetotail; Quasi-neutral sheet.