Assessing plasma sheet convection models using off- equatorial plasma sheet observations

Details Assessing plasma sheet convection models using off- equatorial plasma sheet observations Assessing plasma sheet convection models using off- equatorial plasma sheet observations

Apr 2000

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000phdt........12h&link_type=abstract

Thesis (PhD). BOSTON UNIVERSITY, Source DAI-B 60/10, p. 5114, Apr 2000, 134 pages.

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Scientific paper

The accuracy and limitations of plasma sheet convection models for describing the bulk properties of plasma in the Earth's plasma sheet are assessed. The plasma sheet is important because it supports the entire tail-like structure of the nightside magnetosphere, a volume in which solar wind energy is stored and transported dynamically. It is a vast region of closed magnetic field lines, stretching 100,000's of kilometers away from the Earth in the antisolar direction, and containing relatively dense, ~1 cm -3, warm, ~1 keV, plasma. The plasma sheet magnetic field lines also extend to Earth. Some of the trapped plasma sheet plasma is channeled earthward along the field lines where it can be measured by lower-altitude spacecraft. Simple physical models of plasma sheet densities and pressures are tested using such off-equatorial spacecraft observations. Mid- altitude (~10,000 km altitude) spacecraft are optimal for this research, as they sample a relatively large percentage of the equatorial plasma distribution, and unlike higher-altitude spacecraft, do so faster than the dynamic time-scales of the plasma sheet. In this investigation, four topics are addressed using models and mid-altitude data. Each topic is associated with one of the four central chapters of this thesis. First, off-equatorial measurements are shown to be a reasonable proxy for equatorial measurements under certain conditions. This study exploits unique simultaneous plasma sheet measurements from magnetically- connected equatorial and off-equatorial spacecraft. Next, it is theoretically shown that the plasma sheet varies as a function of local time, given time independent inputs. Variations in the plasma sheet signature may be due to spatial, rather than temporal variability a conclusion not easily reached with a single spacecraft. Two convection models' effectiveness at fitting single spacecraft passes through the plasma sheet are also assessed. This study suggests that inductive electric fields are likely important even during quiet intervals. Finally, average plasma sheet maps of number density and pressure are developed using mid-altitude data. Comparison of these maps to the convection models shows that some, but not all features can be explained simply, and that other important physics are crucial for explaining plasma sheet transport.

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