Physics
Scientific paper
Mar 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011jastp..73..402s&link_type=abstract
Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Volume 73, Issue 4, p. 402-419.
Physics
Scientific paper
This paper reviews ways in which the magnetosphere manifests coherent behavior on a global scale. Because the magnetosphere is a magnetic object, and is thus deformable under the constraint of total magnetic flux conservation, it can and does exhibit coordinated changes across its whole volume. As a trivial example, the early model of the magnetosphere, envisioned as a magnetically closed vacuum cavity, is compressible as a whole, obeying certain scaling laws. The operative dynamics is simply magnetic compression responding to variable solar wind dynamic pressure. Magnetospheric behavior gets more interesting and its global coherence less obvious when one adds the magnetosphere's response to a variable interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Then, in addition to changes associated with magnetic compression, there are changes associated with magnetic tension. Aspects of global coherence that then emerge include the following (to a degree that depends on the strength of the coupling to the IMF): one-way transfer of magnetic flux from the dayside to the nightside (magnetotail) associated with a buildup of the region 1 current system and erosion of the dayside magnetosphere, and, under very strong coupling, saturation of erosion and of the cross polar cap potential; two-way transfer of magnetic flux known as the Dungey cycle associated with substorms and, for very strong coupling, sawtooth substorms; a change in shape of the magnetopause as coupling strength increases that includes the development of a dimple at the nose and Alfvén wings along the flanks; involvement of the magnetosheath and bow shock in global dynamics to such an extent that the boundary of the magnetosphere can be said to be the bow shock. One intention of this review is to demonstrate that these aspects are not separate phenomena but occur together as an integral mode of global magnetospheric behavior.
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