Intensity of geomagnetic storms depends on the X-line location in the plasma sheet

Details Intensity of geomagnetic storms depends on the X-line location in the plasma sheet Intensity of geomagnetic storms depends on the X-line location in the plasma sheet

Apr 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007jgra..11204216k&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 112, Issue A4, CiteID A04216

Physics

2

Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetic Storms And Substorms (7954), Magnetospheric Physics: Ring Current, Magnetospheric Physics: Substorms, Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma Convection (2463), Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma Sheet

Scientific paper

Magnetic reconnection in the plasma sheet, known as the near-Earth X-line (NEXL), is observed within ~30 RE from Earth during substorms. In the absence of substorms, the reconnection X-line is observed beyond ~30 RE, denoted as mid-distant-tail X-line (MDXL). During quasi-periodic substorms, convection is enhanced by the NEXL to intensify the ring current of major storms with Dst < ~ -100 nT. During extended periods without substorms, convection is driven by the MDXL to intensify the ring current of minor storms with Dst > ~ -100 nT. Motivated by observations, we propose a ring current injection conjecture to order the storm intensity: Ring current intensity increases if the X-line forms closer to Earth. We carry out a rough entropy analysis as a first step toward theoretical investigation of the ring current injection conjecture. We show that substorm-associated near-Earth reconnection of closed plasma sheet field lines cannot provide the ring current particles for a major magnetic storm. However, we find that near-Earth reconnection of tail lobe field lines in a few strong substorm events could provide the particles for the storm-time ring current, if the X-line is located earthward of ~15 RE with an uncertainty up to ~25 RE.

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