Polar cap electric field structures with a northward interplanetary magnetic field

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL006i001p00021· OSTI ID:6468966

Burke, W J; Kelley, M C; Sagalyn, R C; Smiddy, M; Lai, S T

Polar cap electric fields patterns are presented from times when the S3-2 Satellite was near the dawn-dusk meridian and IMF data were available. With B/sub z/> or =0.7..gamma.., two characteristic types of electric field patterns were measured in the polar cap. In the sunlit polar cap the convection pattern usually consisted of four cells. Two of the cells were confined to the polar cap with sunward convection in the central portion of the cap. The other pair of cells were marked by anti-sunward flow along the flanks of the polar cap and by sunward flow in the auroral oval. These observations are interpreted in terms of a model for magnetic merging at the poleward wall of the dayside polar cusp. The sunward flow in the auroral zone is not predicted by the magnetic model and may be due to a viscous interaction between the solar wind and and magnetosphere. The second type, which was observed in some of the summer hemisphere passes and all of the winter ones, was characterized by an electric field pattern which was very turbulent, and may be related to inhomogeneous merging.

• Research Organization: Research Center, Regis College, Weston, MA 02193
• OSTI ID: 6468966
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 6:1; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
AURORAL OVAL
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOSPHERE
POLAR REGIONS
POLAR-CAP AURORAE
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND