[A study of the magnetic field annihilation process in the magnetosphere and some geotechnical applications]
Our proposed project is to study the basic plasma processes associated with magnetic reconnection in the Earth's magnetosphere. The three-dimensional (3-D) reconnection process are emphasized in the present study. To explain the satellite observations of flux transfer events (FTEs), we have proposed a multiple X line reconnection (MXR) model for the dayside magnetopause. The same reconnection process may also explain the occurrence of geomagnetic substorms. The multiple X line reconnection is intrinsically a time- dependent process, featuring impulsive and intermittent magnetic reconnection. The study of driven magnetic reconnection process was further extended in the past year by our 3-D MHD simulations that magnetic reconnections may take place along the multiple X lines, resulting in the formulation of helical magnetic flux tubes. The simulation results confirm our earlier theoretical model of multiple X line reconnection in the real 3-D environment. The geometry of the reconnected field lines revealed in the 3-D simulations is found to be more complicated than anticipated. Strong plasma flows along the flux tubes is another feature observed in the simulations. The results suggested that the 3-D reconnections differ significantly from the 2-D reconnections.
- Research Organization:
- Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). Geophysical Inst.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG06-86ER13530
- OSTI ID:
- 6610443
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/13530-2; GI-88-49a; ON: DE93013250
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Different FTE signatures generated by the bursty single X line reconnection and the multiple X line reconnection at the dayside magnetopause
[A study of the magnetic field annihilation process in the magnetosphere and some geotechnical applications]