MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV

Details MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV

May 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agusm..sm21a09g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2001, abstract #SM21A-09 INVITED

Physics

2411 Electric Fields (2712), 2700 Magnetospheric Physics, 2740 Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, 2760 Plasma Convection, 2768 Plasmasphere

Scientific paper

Between the hours of 6--10 UT on May 24, 2000, the IMAGE Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) instrument observed a shoulder-shaped bulge in the morning sector plasmapause. Apparently corotating with the outer plasmasphere, this shoulder moved from its first-observed location near the dawn terminator (at 6 UT), and steepened as it approached noon local time. Simulation results of the data-driven Magnetospheric Specification Model (MSM) have reproduced the formation (at approximately 5 UT) and subsequent time development of the shoulder feature. In the model, the shoulder formation is apparently caused by a dusk-to-dawn penetration electric field, which is triggered by a sudden and strong northward turning of the IMF. The effect of the penetration E-field is to create an antisunward flow of cold plasma in the midnight-dawn quadrant, producing a bulge which steepens and becomes more shoulder-like as it corotates with the plasmasphere. The good agreement between model and observational data of May 24 suggests that evidence for plasmaspheric shoulders may be expected in EUV observations made during other periods of strong, sudden northward IMF turnings. In addition to the May 24 event, we have identified four days (June 10-11, August 2, and August 5, 2000) where sudden northward IMF turnings preceded the formation of shoulder-like features, seen in EUV data. The shoulders of these alternate events were not as prominent as that of May 24, but MSM simulation results suggest that these shoulders could also have been due to penetration E-fields. This study may indicate that a significant role, the production of shoulder-like bulges in the early morning sector plasmasphere, is played by the penetration E-field in global plasmaspheric dynamics.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV 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 MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and MSM Simulation of the Plasmaspheric Shoulder, and Comparison to Data from IMAGE EUV will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1276671