Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited

Details Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited

Apr 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994jgr....99.5793p&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 99, no. A4, p. 5793-5803

Physics

Geophysics

49

Current Sheets, Geomagnetic Tail, Magnetic Field Configurations, Magnetic Fields, Magnetic Storms, Geophysics, Ionospheric Electron Density, Mathematical Models, Solar Terrestrial Interactions

Scientific paper

The global magnetic field configuration during the growth phase of the Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop (CDAW) 6 substorm (March 22, 1979, 1054 UT) is modeled using data from two suitably located spacecraft and temporally evolving variations of the Tsyganenko magnetic field model. These results are compared with a local calculation of the current sheet location and thickness carried out by McPherron et al. (1987) and Sanny et al. (this issue). Both models suggest that during the growth phase the current sheet rotated away from its nominal location, and simultaneously thinned strongly. The locations and thickness obtained from the two models are in good agreement. The global model suggests that the peak current density is approximately 120 nA/sq m and that the cross-tail current almost doubled its intensity during this very strong growth phase. The global model predicts a field configuration that is sufficiently stretched to scatter thermal electrons, which may be conducive to the onset of ion tearing in the tail. The electron plasma data further support this scenario, as the anisotropy present in the low-energy electrons disappears close to the substorm onset. The electron contribution to the intensifying current in this case is of the order of 10% before the isotropization of the distribution.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited 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 Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thin current sheets in the magnetotail during substorms: CDAW 6 revisited will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1258256