Solution of the Chapman-Ferraro problem with an arbitrary magnetopause

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/94GL00176· OSTI ID:35417

Toffoletto, F R; Hilmer, R V; Hill, T W; Voigt, G H ^[1]

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1. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

The authors present a global model of the magnetic field of the magnetosphere that includes the effects of the Chapman-Ferraro currents to earlier models, the magnetopause shape is arbitrary, thus allowing the use of more realistic geometries. The internal magnetospheric field model of Hilmer and Voigt, is completely shielded within the magnetopause by solving the Laplace equation with Neumann boundary conditions using a finite difference method on a non-orthogonal, curvilinear grid. The resulting model magnetosphere is perfectly closed although the method can also be applied with more general boundary conditions, to generate a set of open models based on the approach of Toffoletto and Hill. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of a purely numerical approach to solving the Chapman-Ferraro problem with arbitrary magnetpause shape and boundary conditions.

• OSTI ID: 35417
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 21; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CHAPMAN-FERRARO PROBLEM
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
MAGNETOPAUSE
NUMERICAL SOLUTION