Dayside merging and cusp geometry

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA084iA03p00951· OSTI ID:6215361

Crooker, N U

Geometrical considerations are presented to show that dayside magnetic merging when constrained to act only where the fields are antiparallel results in lines of merging that converge at the polar cusps. An important consequence of this geometry is that no accelerated flows are predicted across the dayside magnetopause. Acceleration owing to merging acts in opposition to the magnetosheath flow at the merging point and produces the variably directed, slower-than-magnetosheath flows observed in the entry layer. Another consequence of the merging geometry is that much of the time closed field lines constitute the subsolar region of the magnetopause. The manner in which the polar cap convection patterns predicted by the proposed geometry change as the interplanetary field is rotated through 360/sup 0/ provides a unifying description of how the observed single circular vortex and the crescent-shaped double vortex patterns mutually evolve under the influence of a single operating principle.

• Research Organization: Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
• OSTI ID: 6215361
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 84:A3; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CONVECTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETOSHEATH
MAGNETOSPHERE