[A study of the magnetic field annihilation process in the magnetosphere and some geotechnical applications]. Progress report
The basic plasma processes associated with magnetic reconnection in the Earth`s magnetosphere are studied in our proposed project. In the past year, several problems associated with the 2-D and 3-D nonlinear reconnection processes were investigated. A new theory for nonlinear fast steady-state magnetic reconnection is proposed. The inflow region possesses highly curved magnetic field lines, which differs from that in the classical model of Petschek. A separatrix jet of plasma is ejected from the central diffusion region along the magnetic separatrix. Two types of outflow are studied, the simplest one possessing a potential outflow magnetic field and the other containing weak standing shock waves attached to the ends of the diffusion region. Across the separatrix jet, the outflow can be either slowed down by the fast-mode shocks or speeded up by the slow-mode shocks, depending on the downstream boundary conditions. In the 3-D MHD simulations, frayed magnetic flux ropes are found to be formed during the dayside magnetic reconnection process. Strong flux rope-aligned plasma flows are observed. Simulations of the driven reconnection process also indicate that the focusing of the Poynting flux has an important effect on the onset of reconnection and the location of reconnection sites.
- Research Organization:
- Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). Geophysical Inst.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG06-86ER13530
- OSTI ID:
- 10147946
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/13530-3; GI-88-49b; ON: DE93013172
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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[A study of the magnetic field annihilation process in the magnetosphere and some geotechnical applications]
[A study of the magnetic field annihilation process in the magnetosphere and some geotechnical applications]. Progress report