On the influence of an external electric field on magnetotail reconnection

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA091iA08p08817· OSTI ID:5086580

Birn, J; Schindler, K

We have studied magnetotail reconnection under the influence of a dawn to dusk electric field applied at the high-latitude tail boundary using a two-dimensional resistive MHD code. We found that the basic unstable sequence of tearing and plasmoid formation and ejection was not changed if the external electric field was fairly uniform. The externally forced compression, however, could shorten the onset time and the growth time of the evolution. The faster growth can be understood by the fact that the forced compression gradually alters the lobe field strength and the plasma sheet width and reduce thereby the relevant Alfve-acute-accentn time. In fact, if the evolution of the cases with imposed electric field is rescaled on the basis of these characteristics parameters, a good quantitative agreement with the case without external electric field is found.

• Research Organization: University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico
• OSTI ID: 5086580
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 91:A8; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPRESSION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETOTAIL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA SHEET
PLASMOIDS
TEARING INSTABILITY