Formation of field-twisting flux tubes on the magnetopause and solar wind particle entry into the magnetosphere

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL013i008p00801· OSTI ID:5111545

Sato, T; Shimada, T; Tanaka, M; Hayashi, T; Watanabe, K

A global interaction between the solar wind with a southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the magnetosphere is studied using a semi-global simulation model. A magnetic flux tube in which field lines are twisted is created as a result of repeated reconnection between the IMF and the outermost earth-rooted magnetic field near the equatorial plane and propagates to higher latitudes. When crossing the polar cusp, the flux tube penetrates into the magnetosphere reiterating reconnection with the earth-rooted higher latitude magnetic field, whereby solar wind particles are freely brought inside the magnetosphere. The flux tube structure has similarities in many aspects to the flux transfer events (FTEs) observed near the dayside magnetopause.

• Research Organization: Institute for Fusion Theory, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 730, Japan
• OSTI ID: 5111545
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 13:8; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETOPAUSE
PARTICLES
POLAR CUSP
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
TUBES