Physics
Scientific paper
May 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agusmsm23b..11d&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2005, abstract #SM23B-11
Physics
2724 Magnetopause, Cusp, And Boundary Layers, 2753 Numerical Modeling, 7835 Magnetic Reconnection
Scientific paper
We use global magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations to investigate the clock angle dependence of magnetic reconnection at Earth's subsolar magnetopause. Under steady solar wind conditions, and when the plasma resistivity is constant, we find that reconnection occurs at the subsolar magnetopause via a flux pileup mechanism for both northward and southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. Magnetic energy accumulates upstream of a Sweet-Parker current sheet to accommodate the sub-Alfvénic magnetosheath flow, and the upstream plasma density decreases (forming a plasma depletion layer) in order to satisfy momentum conservation. We argue, therefore, that in the context of resistive MHD, plasma depletion upstream of the magnetopause is a signature of magnetic flux pileup reconnection which occurs at the subsolar magnetopause under both northward and southward IMF conditions. We discuss the implications of these results for the "component" vs. "antiparallel" merging debate as well as for the interpretation of spacecraft observations of the plasma depletion layer.
Dorelli John C.
Raeder Joachim
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