A synthesis of magnetospheric substorm models

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA02430· OSTI ID:5314275

Lui, A T.Y. ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA)

Three decades of research in magnetospheric substorms has not led to a general consensus view of the substorm process. Several substorm models, mostly phenomenological, are presently under consideration. These competing models, each being justifiable on the basis of certain features of a substorm, have major differences as well as similarities among them. A synthesis substorm model is desirable, as first suggested by Siscoe (1986). In this paper, the authors constructs a coherent description of substorm development by extracting some important components from these existing models. The scenario of the synthesis model includes the ionospheric influence on substorm expansion onset, current disruptions leading to convection surges and tailward propagating rarefaction waves, wave-induced precipitation, local time expansion of the disturbance region via velocity-shear-related instabilities, plasma sheet heating by resonant absorption of hydromagnetic waves, and the formation of magnetic reconnection domains. This synthesis represents one possible way to integrate the different existing models coherently.

• OSTI ID: 5314275
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A2; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• 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
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EXPANSION
HEATING
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SHEET
WAVE PROPAGATION