Compound streams, magnetic clouds, and major geomagnetic storms

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA06p05725· OSTI ID:5940713

Burlaga, L F; Behannon, K W ^[1]; Klein, L W ^[2]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. Applied Research Corp., Landover, MD (United States)

Data from ISEE 3, Helios A, and Helios B were used to identify the components of two compound streams and to determine their configurations. (A compound stream is a stream which has formed as a result of the interaction of two or more distinct fast flows.) In one case, ejecta containing a magnetic cloud associated with a disappearing quiescent filament were interacting with a corotating stream. In the second case, ejecta containing a magnetic cloud associated with a 2B flare were overtaking ejecta from a different source. Each of these compound streams produced an unusually large geomagnetic storm, on April 3, 1979, and on April 25, 1979, respectively. The largest geomagnetic storm in the period 1968-1986, which occurred on July 13, 1982, was associated with a compound stream. Thirty geomagnetic storms with Ap > 90 occurred between 1972 and 1983, and there are interplanetary magnetic field and plasma data for 17 of these events. The data suggest that most large geomagnetic storms are associated with compound streams and/or magnetic clouds.

• OSTI ID: 5940713
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 92:A6; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MAGNETIC STORMS
SOLAR WIND
MORPHOLOGY
VELOCITY
CORRELATIONS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
PLASMA DENSITY
SATELLITES
TRANSIENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)