Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh43a1932m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH43A-1932
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2102] Interplanetary Physics / Corotating Streams, [2164] Interplanetary Physics / Solar Wind Plasma, [7833] Space Plasma Physics / Mathematical And Numerical Techniques, [7835] Space Plasma Physics / Magnetic Reconnection
Scientific paper
This presentation reports results from a new magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of the inner heliosphere. The model is adapted from the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) magnetospheric simulation code and is used to study the structure of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) on the meso-scale. We focus in this study on Carrington rotation 1892 which occurred during solar minimum, and simulate the solar wind and heliospheric magnetic field from 0.1 to 2~AU. We demonstrate the development of small-scale (1 degree x 1 degree x ~1 solar radius) structure, such as folds and ripples, on the HCS surface. In particular, we analyze the evolution of a current sheet fold forming by 1 AU, significantly narrowing by 1.5 AU (~1 degree in width), and quickly disrupting afterwards. The disruption constitutes a process whereby the lower part of the current sheet fold separates from the main surface and, on a heliocentric spherical surface, appears as an island of the magnetic field of outward polarity in the sea of the field of inward polarity. We show that this process is associated with non-radial motion of plasma and magnetic field induced inside a stream interaction region. In addition, we discuss evidence of magnetic reconnection in our simulation that involves flux tubes in the vicinity of the heliospheric current sheet. The simulations presented here provide a useful global 3-dimensional context for interpreting multiple current sheet crossings commonly observed by spacecraft as well as observations of magnetic reconnection in the solar wind.
Lyon John
McGregor Sarah L.
Merkin V. G.
Pahud D. M.
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