A mechanism for the generation of cusp region hydromagnetic waves

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA093iA07p07578· OSTI ID:5256225

Lee, L C; Shi, Y ^[1]; Lanzerotti, L J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks (USA)
2. AT and T Bell Lab., Murray Hill, NJ (USA)

It is suggested that the existence of a sporadic multiple X line reconnection (MXR) process at the dayside magnetopause could be a source of energy to produce ULF hydromagnetic waves (f{approximately}1-10 mHz) in the dayside magnetopause cusp region. The MXR process is characterized by the repeated formation and convection of magnetic islands and elongated plasma clouds, which compress and distort the adjacent closed geomagnetic field lines. This leads in a natural way to the generation of Ulf waves with frequencies in the range 1-10 mHz along cusp geomagnetic field lines. These waves are expected to be approximately linearly polarized, dominated by variations in the azimuthal magnetic field component near the resonant closed field lines in the magnetosphere. In addition, the field-aligned currents associated with the MXR process may generate the impulsive magnetic field variations often observed to accompany the continuous variations in the ULF band. Hence the reconnection process may be an additional mechanism, together with the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and direct penetration of upstream waves, for the production of hydromagnetic energy in the dayside magnetosphere.

• DOE Contract Number: FG06-86ER13530
• OSTI ID: 5256225
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 93:A7; 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
CONVECTION
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
HEAT TRANSFER
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
MASS TRANSFER
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
POLAR CUSP
VARIATIONS