Influences of solar wind parameters and geomagnetic activity on the tail lobe magnetic field: A statistical study

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA02361· OSTI ID:5189221

Nakai, H ^[1]; Kamide, Y ^[2]; Russell, C T ^[3]

---

1. Teshima High School, Osaka (Japan)
2. Kyoto Sangyo Univ. (Japan)
3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)

The size and magnetic field strength of the tail lobe at the downstream distance of 10 to 22.6 R{sub E} are examined statistically by utilizing data from the magnetometer on board the ISEE 1 satellite. The probability that the satellite encounters the lobe region is mapped on the tail cross sections, the Y-Z plane. It is found that the magnetotail lobe expands in association with increasing auroral electrojet activity. This expansion is particularly evident at the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetotail, while the lobe region seems not to expand appreciably near the aberrated X axis. The lobe field strength, B{sub L}, is found to be represented as B{sub L}(nT) = 1.03 {times} 10{sup 3} R{sup {minus}1.20}, where R denotes the geocentric distance in Earth radii. Multiple regression analyses reveal that the lobe field strength principally depends on the dynamic pressure (P{sub D}) and static pressure (P{sub S}) of the solar wind as well as on the IMF B{sub Z}. It is also shown that the flaring angle of the tail lobe, {theta}, is represented as sin{sup 2}{theta} = 1.97 {times} 10{sup {minus}5} P{sub D}{sup {minus}0.47}{vert bar} AL {vert bar}{sup 0.11}, where AL denotes the auroral electrojet AL index.

• OSTI ID: 5189221
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A4; 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
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CURRENTS
DISTANCE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROJETS
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
EXPANSION
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOTAIL
MATHEMATICS
PRESSURE EFFECTS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
SATELLITES
SIZE
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
STATISTICS