Field-aligned currents near the magnetosphere boundary

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6302068· OSTI ID:6302068

Hones, Jr, E W

This paper reviews present thinking about the structure of magnetospheric boundary layers and their roles in the generation of the field-aligned currents that are observed in the polar regions. A principal effect of the momentum loss by magnetosheath plasma to the magnetosphere boundary regions just within the magnetopause, whether it be by a diffusive process or by magnetic reconnection, is the tailward pulling of surface flux tubes relative to those deeper below the surface. The dayside region 1 currents at low altitudes flow along field lines in the resulting regions of magnetic shear. The direction of the shear and its magnitude, measured in the boundary region, confirm tht the polarities and intensities of the dayside region 1 currents can be accounted for by this process. The low latitude boundary layer, formerly thought to be threaded entirely by closed field lines, now appears to contain at least some open field lines, newly reconnected, that are in the process of being swept into the high latitude tail to form the plasma mantle. The open flux tubes of the flux transfer events, thought to be the product of patchy reconnection have a spiral magnetic structure whose helicity is such as to suggest currents having the polarities of the region 1 currents.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6302068
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-83-1014; CONF-830472-1; ON: DE83011333
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CURRENTS
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAGNETOSPHERE
NUMERICAL DATA
POLAR REGIONS