Metastable states of diffuse neutral sheet and the substorm explosive phase
Galeev A. A. , Zelenyi L. M.
We consider the nonlinear theory of explosive instabilities of the diffuse neutral sheet produced as a result of resonant interaction with electrons or ions. It is shown that in sufficiently thin sheets there can occur metastable states relative to the buildup of ion instability. The results can be used to explain theoretically the explosive phase of magnetospheric substorms.