Magnetic field line drapping in the plasma depletion layer

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA03p02433· OSTI ID:5152610

Sibeck, D G ^[1]; Lepping, R P ^[2]; Lazarus, A J ^[3]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States)
2. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
3. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (United States)

Magnetosheath magnetic field lines drape about the magnetosphere. Even when the interplanetary magnetic field lies parallel to the ecliptic plane, the magnetosheath magnetic field just outside the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetosphere is deflected far out of the ecliptic plane. The authors present simultaneous IMP 8 solar wind and ISEE 1/2 observations for a northern dawn ISEE 1/2 magnetopause crossing on November 6, 1977. During this crossing, ISEE 1/2 observed quasi-periodic pulses of magnetosheathlike plasma on northward magnetic field lines. The ISEE 1/2 observations were originally interpreted as evidence for strong diffusion of magnetosheath plasma across the magnetopause and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the inner edge of the low-latitude boundary layer. An alternate explanation, in terms of magnetic field merging and flux transfer events, has also been advocated. They provide a third interpretation in terms of quasi-periodic magnetopause motion which causes the satellites to repeatedly exit the magnetosphere and observe draped northward magnetosheath magnetic field lines in the plasma depletion layer.

• OSTI ID: 5152610
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:A3; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAGNETOSHEATH
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SATELLITES