Two-stream modeling of plasmaspheric refilling

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/95JA00081· OSTI ID:150358

Guiter, S M ^[1]; Gombosi, T I; Rasmussen, C E ^[2]

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1. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL (United States)
2. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Plasmaspheric refilling on an L=4 flux tube was studied by using a time-dependent, hydrodynamic plasmaspheric flow model in which the ion streams from the two hemispheres are treated as distinct fluids. In the model the continuity, momentum, and energy equations of a two-ion (O{sup +} and H{sup +}), quasi-neutral, currentless plasma are solved along a closed geomagnetic field line; diffusive equilibrium is not assumed. Collisions between all stream pairs and with neutral species are included. The model includes a corotating, tilted dipole magnetic field and neutral winds. Ionospheric sources and sinks are accounted for in a self-consistent manner. Electrons are assumed to be heated by photoelectrons. The model flux tube extends from 200-km altitude in one hemisphere to 200-km altitude in the other hemisphere. Initially, the upwelling streams pass through each other practically unimpeded. When the streams approach the boundary in the conjugate ionosphere, a shock develops there, which moves upward and dissipates slowly; at about the same time a reverse shock develops in the hemisphere of origin, which moves upward. After about 1 hour, large shocks develop in each stream near the equator; these shocks move toward the equator and downward after crossing the equator. However, these shocks are probably artificial, because counterstreaming flows occur in each H{sup +} fluid, which the model can only handle by creating shocks. 25 refs., 10 figs.

• OSTI ID: 150358
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A6 Vol. 100; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
HYDROGEN IONS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MASS BALANCE
OXYGEN IONS
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMASPHERE