Model of magnetosheath plasma in the magnetosphere: Cusp and mantle particles at low-altitudes

Journal Article · Fri Mar 19 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL00596· OSTI ID:6771971

Onsager, T G; Kletzing, C A; Austin, J B; MacKiernan, H ^[1]

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1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham (United States)

A model of plasma transport in the open magnetic field region of the dayside magnetosphere has been used to investigate the source regions and the distribution of solar wind plasma in the magnetospheric cusp and mantle. This model includes the variation in the magnetosheath properties as the plasma accelerates away from the subsolar point, the variation in the transport of magnetosheath plasma across the magnetopause as the orientation of the magnetic field line evolves following reconnection, and the transport of the magnetosheath plasma within the magnetosphere. The authors' model results are compared with low-altitude spacecraft data from a crossing of the cusp and mantle. They find qualitative and quantitative agreement between the model results and the data. This agreement suggests that the zeroth-order processes included in the model are sufficient to reproduce the commonly observed particle distributions in the low-altitude cusp and mantle regions. 16 refs., 2 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6771971
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 20:6; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOSHEATH
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLASMA
POLAR CUSP
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND