Magnetotail Flow Patterns During Steady Magnetospheric Convection

Details Magnetotail Flow Patterns During Steady Magnetospheric Convection Magnetotail Flow Patterns During Steady Magnetospheric Convection

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm41c1886k&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM41C-1886

Physics

[2740] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, [2744] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetotail, [2760] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Convection, [2784] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions

Scientific paper

Steady magnetospheric convection (SMC) events are a mode of magnetospheric response resulting from balanced rates of dayside and nightside reconnection, usually preceded by a substorm. How the magnetosphere reaches a steady-state configuration after substorm expansion remains an outstanding question. Previous studies suggest that the large-scale magnetosphere configuration and plasma convection remain stable, but are less steady on short time scales. Bursty bulk flows (BBFs) have been found during periods of relatively steady plasma sheet convection (also called continuous magnetospheric dissipation (CMD) events). One theory is that these BBFs form a convection jet that transports plasma from the distant reconnection regions in the tail to the inner magnetosphere. However, recent models indicate that the earthward flowing plasma is diverted to the dawn and dusk flanks, leaving the inner magnetosphere undisturbed. We resolve this controversy with a comprehensive list of over 3000 SMC events from 1997-2009 inclusive. Using Geotail and THEMIS data, we identify the statistical pattern of magnetotail flows during SMC events to determine how plasma flux is returned to the dayside magnetopause. We also examine the properties of the near-Earth current sheet and the distant-tail plasma sheet and neutral line. Since substorms that initiate SMCs may precondition the magnetosphere to allow for such events, we include the two hours before the start of SMCs in our study of the magnetosphere parameters.

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