An MHD simulation study of the poloidal mode field line resonance in the Earth's dipole magnetosphere

Physics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

14

Cold Plasmas, Computerized Simulation, Earth Magnetosphere, Magnetic Dipoles, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Magnetohydrodynamics, Poloidal Flux, Electric Fields, Magnetic Flux, Perturbation, Vortices

Scientific paper

The poloidal mode field line resonance in the Earth's dipole magnetic field is investigated using cold plasma ideal MHD simulations in dipole geometry. In order to excite the poloidal mode resonance, we use either an initial or a continuous velocity perturbation to drive the system. The perturbation is localized at magnetic shell L = 7 with plasma flow in the radial direction (electric field component in the azimuthal direction). It is found that with the initial perturbation alone, no polodial mode resonance can be obtained and the initially localized perturbation spreads out across all magnetic L shells. With the continuous perturbation, oscillating near the poloidal resonance frequency, a global-scale poloidal cavity mode can be obtained. For the first time, a localized guided poloidal mode resonance is obtained when a radial component of electric field is added to the initial perturbation such that the curl of the electric field is everywhere perpendicular to the background dipole magnetic field. During the localized poloidal resonance, plasma vortices parallel/antiparallel to the background dipole magnetic field B(sub 0). This circular flow, elongated radially, results in twisting of magnetic field flux tubes, which, in turn, leads to the slowdown of the circular plasma flow and reversal of the plasma vortices. The energy associated with the localized poloidal resonance is conserved as it shifts back and forth between the oscillating plasma vortices and the alternately twisted magnetic flux tubes. In the simulations the eigenfunctions associated with the localized poloidal resonance are grid-scale singular functions. This result indicates that ideal MHD is inadequate to describe the underlying problem and nonideal MHD effects are needed for mode broadening.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

An MHD simulation study of the poloidal mode field line resonance in the Earth's dipole magnetosphere 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 An MHD simulation study of the poloidal mode field line resonance in the Earth's dipole magnetosphere, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and An MHD simulation study of the poloidal mode field line resonance in the Earth's dipole magnetosphere will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-836095

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.