Other
Scientific paper
Oct 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994p%26ss...42..847l&link_type=abstract
Planetary and Space Science (ISSN 0032-0633), vol. 42, no. 10, p. 847-857
Other
3
Geomagnetic Tail, Magnetic Dipoles, Magnetopause, Neptune (Planet), Neutral Sheets, Planetary Magnetotails, Uranus (Planet), Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, Planetary Rotation, Solar Wind, Voyager 2 Spacecraft
Scientific paper
The magnetic field configuration-states of the magnetotails of the planets Uranus and Neptune are compared. Earth's case is also briefly treated, as well as some related aspects of the other three magnetic planets. In Uranus' case, due to the large tilt (59 deg) of the planet's magnetic dipole with respect to its spin axis and the unusual obliquity of that axis, the angle of attack (alpha) of the solar wind with respect to dipole alignment goes through all possible angles, 0 deg to 180 deg, yielding a very broad spectrum of configuration-states of its tail. Cases are discussed where the planetary magnetic dipole is either aligned with the Sun-planet-line ('pole-on' state) or perpendicular to it and some intermediate states, for both Uranus and Neptune. Only Uranus experiences the pole-on state, which next occurs in November 1999 (+/- 2 months); last year (1993.2) it had the first 'perpendicular' state since Voyager encounter which resembles Earth's case. Neptune never has a pole-on configuration, but it gets as close as alpha = 14 deg from it; the next occurrence is early in 2003. At Voyager encounter Neptune's magnetotail apparently rapidly migrated through a broad spectrum of field structures with near extreme states resembling an Earth-like case on the one hand and a cylindrically symmetric one on the other. Magnetopause 'openness' should dramatically change in terms of the rapidly changing angle of attack throughout a planetary day for these two planets, and this has important implications for their magnetotails. Any future manetospheric mission plans for Uranus or Neptune should take in to consideration the allowed range of values for alpha for the epoch of interest; this is especially of concern for Uranus which has a pole-on state, and all possible alphas, around the middle of 2014, 20 years from now.
No associations
LandOfFree
Comparison of the field configurations of the magnetotails of Uranus and Neptune 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 Comparison of the field configurations of the magnetotails of Uranus and Neptune, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Comparison of the field configurations of the magnetotails of Uranus and Neptune will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1072590