DEBYE-SCALE PLASMA STRUCTURES ASSOCIATED WITH MAGNETIC-FIELD-ALIGNED ELECTRIC-FIELDS

We report a new type of spatially coherent plasma structure that is as sociated with quasistatic, magnetic-field-aligned electric fields in s pace plasmas. The solitary structures form in a magnetized plasma, are multidimensional, and are highly supersonic. The size along Bo is a f ew lambda(D) and increases with increasing amplitude, unlike a classic al soliton. The perpendicular size appears to be influenced by ion mot ion. We show that the structures facilitate ion-electron momentum exch ange and suggest that an aggregate of structures may play a role suppo rting large-scale, parallel electric fields. [S0031-9007(98)06705-2].