Magnetic energy storage and the nightside magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

Technical Report · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/621900· OSTI ID:621900

Horton, W; Pekker, M ^[1]; Doxas, I ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Institute for Fusion Studies
2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Astrophysical Planetary & Atmospheric Sciences

The change m in the magnetic energy stored m in the Earth`s magnetotail as a function of the solar wind, BIF conditions are investigated using an empirical magnetic field model. The results are used to calculate the two normal modes contained m in the low-dimensional global model called WINDMI for the solar wind driven magnetosphere-ionosphere system. The coupling of the magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) through the nightside region 1 current loop transfers power to the ionosphere through two modes: a fast (period of minutes) oscillation and a slow (period of one hour) geotail cavity mode. The solar wind drives both modes m in the substorm dynamics.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Institute for Fusion Studies
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-96ER54346
• OSTI ID: 621900
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/54346-821; ON: DE98005834; TRN: 98:002280
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: May 1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
MAGNETOTAIL
SOLAR WIND
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
COUPLING
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS