Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase

Details Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm41a1838t&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM41A-1838

Physics

[2730] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetosphere: Inner, [2753] Magnetospheric Physics / Numerical Modeling, [2764] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Sheet, [2790] Magnetospheric Physics / Substorms

Scientific paper

To investigate the consequences of a localized violation of frozen-in flux in the plasma sheet at the end of a substorm growth phase, we have carried out a series of simulations using the Rice Convection Model Equilibrium (RCM-E) model, which consists of the RCM model coupled to an equilibrium magnetic field. The simulation was started with an RCM-E-computed growth-phase magnetic field that is highly stretched in the inner plasma sheet and has a large region of nearly uniform entropy parameter. Violation of frozen-in flux because of an electric field Ey>0 in the plasma rest frame implies that magnetic field lines slip on the plasma, creating a plasma bubble (region of reduced entropy parameter) just earthward of the disruption and a plasma blob (region of increased entropy) on the tailward side. To represent this in the model, a bubble and blob were imposed on the RCM-E-computed growth-phase configuration, and then the subsequent evolution was followed using the RCM-E. Because the configuration is interchange unstable, the bubble surges earthward, the blob moves tailward, and the z-component of the magnetic field between the bubble and blob decreases significantly, resulting in a thinning of the current sheet and an increase in the cross-tail current density. We will present results of simulations that involve various model scenarios, including one that uses various cross polar cap potential to assess the impact on the bubble/blob motion of the background convection electric field. We speculate that, in the magnetosphere, the positive feedback that results from the bubble-blob pair would cause the current sheet to continue to thin, eventually making the current sheet favorable for reconnection.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Consequences of Violation of Frozen-in Flux at the end of a Substorm Growth Phase will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1472114