Plasmaspheric wind

Abstract

Observational evidence is presented indicating that beyond L = 1.7-2 plasma corotating in the plasmasphere expands continuously with a small outward directed bulk velocity perpendicular to geomagnetic field lines. A numerical simulation of plasmaspheric flux tube drift motion is presented in support of such an outward plasma expansion. The maximum expansion velocity inside the plasmasphere is determined by the maximum value of the plasma interchange velocity, which is inversely proportional to the value of the integrated Pedersen conductivity.