The magnetopause and boundary layer for small magnetic shear - Convection electric fields and reconnection

Physics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

51

Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Electric Fields, Magnetic Field Reconnection, Magnetopause, Plasma Dynamics, Ampte (Satellites), Ionospheric Electron Density, Satellite Observation

Scientific paper

Convection electric fields, EC = -Vp x B, measured during a magnetopause/boundary-layer encounter at low latitude by the AMPTE/IRM spacecraft, are shown to yield an accurate determination of the magnetopause normal vector, N, even though the magnetic shear across the magnetopause was small. The average plasma velocity along N is used to deduce a boundary-layer thickness of about 1.3 earth radii. Analysis of EC in the magnetopause itself reveals the existence of a deHoffmann-Teller frame in which the flow is nearly field-aligned and approximately Alfvenic, indicating that the magnetopause was a rotational discontinuity; this is interpreted as a signature that magnetic-field reconnection was occurring somewhere on the magnetopause.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

The magnetopause and boundary layer for small magnetic shear - Convection electric fields and reconnection 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 The magnetopause and boundary layer for small magnetic shear - Convection electric fields and reconnection, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The magnetopause and boundary layer for small magnetic shear - Convection electric fields and reconnection will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1303826

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.