Reconnection voltage as a function of IMF clock angle

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection between the IMF and the geomagnetic field is thought to play a major role in the transfer of solar wind momentum and energy to the magnetosphere. Both analytic modeling and analysis of geophysical data have shown that this coupling process should be a sensitive function of the clock angle of the IMF. Results are presented from a three-dimensional, MHD, global numerical simulation code for the reconnection voltage between the closed geomagnetic field and the IMF as a function of the IMF clock angle. These results are consistent with a sin(theta/2) functional behavior.