Numerical simulation of the subsolar magnetopause current layer in the Sun-Earth Meridian plane

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA02535· OSTI ID:6610407

Okuda, H ^[1]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

A two-dimensional electromagnetic particle simulation model was used to study formation and stability of the magnetopause current layer near the subsolar point in the Sun-Earth Meridian plane. Interactions of the dipole magnetic field with the unmagentized and magnetized solar wind for both the southward and northward pointing interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF) are considered in the simulations. For the case of zero IMF the simulation results show that the current layer is given by the electron-ion hybrid gyroradius which is much smaller than the ion gryoradius. This is in sharp contrast to our earlier two-dimensional simulations in the equatorial plane where the current layer is strongly unstable against the high-frequency drift waves. The current layer is found to remain stable for the northward IMF as well. As in the one-dimensional simulation, the jump of the magnetic field at the current layer for the northward IMF remains small. For the southward IMF, collisionless magnetic reconnection is found to develop, leading to formation of magnetic islands and density peaking within the current layer. At later times the coalescene of magnetic islands and the mixing of the plasma lead to a smooth density distribution in the magnetopause current layer, resulting in a current layer width of about 1 ion gyrodiameter. 23 refs., 6 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6610407
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:A3; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COALESCENCE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MIXING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMA SHEET
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
STABILITY
STARS
SUN
SYNTHESIS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS