Modeling of the quasi-steady magnetotail

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6608825

Birn, J ^[1]; Schindler, K ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
2. Ruhr-Univ., Bochum (Germany, F.R.)

The three-dimensional theory of the quiet magnetotail is reviewed and updated. The most advanced formulation of the theory allows one to solve the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations including field-aligned flow by reduction to a set of ordinary differential equations and an ordinary integral. These solutions represent lowest order solutions of an asymptotic expansion of the MHD equations for small electric field and weak time dependence. Applications to the magnetotail configuration are presented, which include the following properties in a self-consistent way: Flaring of the tail in y and z, associated with the presence of B{sub y} and B{sub z}; variation of plasma sheet and current sheet thickness with x and y, associated with variations of B{sub z}; field-aligned currents at the boundary between plasma sheet and lobes with the signature of region 1'' currents, i.e., toward the Earth on the dawn side and away on the dusk side, associated with the decrease of the tail flaring with distance from the Earth; net cross-tail magnetic field. Particular steady models with field-aligned flow demonstrate the important role of the flow in allowing or producing configurations with a transition from a thick closed plasma sheet to a much thinner distant open current sheet and for the possibility of thick plasmoids propagating in near equilibrium through the thin distant current sheet.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6608825
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-90-2968; CONF-8910462--1; ON: DE91000444
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
CONTINUITY EQUATIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
EQUATIONS
FLOW MODELS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETOTAIL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS