IMF B/sub y/-dependent plasma flow and Birkeland currents in the dayside magnetosphere. 1. Dynamics Explorer observations

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6182267

Burch, J L; Reiff, P H; Menietti, J D; Heelis, R A; Hanson, W B

Plasma, magnetic-field, and dc electric-field observations from Dynamics Explorers 1 and 2 are used to investigate the morphology of solar-wind ion injection, Birkeland currents, and plasma convection in the morning sector for both positive and negative interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B/sub y/ components. The results of the study are used to construct a B/sub y/-dependent global-convection model for southward IMF. A significant element of the model is the coexistence of three types of convection cells (merging cells, viscous cells, and lobe cells). This model can account for observations of a nearly stationary (in local time) convection throat, a sunward-antisunward convection reversal zone at the polar-cap boundary in both the morning and afternoon quadrants, the morphology of solar-wind ion injection and transport in the mid-altitude polar cusp, and the B/sub y/-dependent dawn-dusk asymmetry of polar-cap electron fluxes.

• Research Organization: Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (USA). Dept. of Space Sciences
• OSTI ID: 6182267
• Report Number(s): AD-A-160499/0/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
CONVECTION
CURRENTS
DIRECT CURRENT
DYNAMICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXPLORER SATELLITES
HEAT TRANSFER
ION MOBILITY
MASS TRANSFER
MECHANICS
MOBILITY
PARTICLE MOBILITY
PLASMA DRIFT
POLAR-CAP ABSORPTION
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND