Dynamic Formation of Thin Current Sheets in the Magnetotail

Details Dynamic Formation of Thin Current Sheets in the Magnetotail Dynamic Formation of Thin Current Sheets in the Magnetotail

May 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusmsm32b..10b&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #SM32B-10

Physics

2740 Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, 2744 Magnetotail, 2788 Storms And Substorms

Scientific paper

Previously, using two-dimensional magnetohydrostatic equilibium theory together with magnetic flux, entropy, and topology conservation, we demonstrated that a finite boundary deformation of magnetotail equilibria can lead to locally infinite current density enhancement, that is, the formation of a thin current sheet. Equilibrium configurations that satisfy the constraints cease to exist when the boundary deformation exceeds a critical value. Using time dependent MHD simulations, we confirm the basic theoretical results. We further extend this work to study the effects of tailward propagating boundary conditions, corresponding to the southward and subsequent northward turning of the IMF Bz. We demonstrate that these boundary conditions again can lead to thin current sheet formation. Finite perturbations can produce a strong local increase of the current density and a local reduction of the magnetic field component Bz in the center of the plasma sheet, so that kinetic instabilities and a dynamic evolution may be triggered. The current sheet formation is influenced not only by the magnitude and the duration of the applied electric field but also by the temporal profile: A sudden decrease of the driving electric field following a more gradual increase is more effective than a gradual decrease following a sudden increase. This may provide a clue for the apparent substorm triggering by sudden northward turning of the IMF.

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