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NASA NTRS1972

Discontinuities and shock waves in the interplanetary medium and their interaction with the magnetosphere.

The discontinuous structure of the solar wind is described with emphasis on properties related to geomagnetic impulses. Some of the discontinuities are clearly hydromagnetic shocks and tangential discontinuities, and can produce a significant change in the momentum flux at the magnetosphere boundary. Such a change generates an impulse which propagates through the magnetosphere to the earth where it is observed world-wide as an impulse in magnetograms. The propagation process is not reviewed here, but the relation between the initial cause (discontinuity) and the final effect (geomagnetic impulse) is reviewed in detail. The various types of impulses are examined, and are related qualitatively to the various types of discontinuities. The magnitude of an impulse is related to the change in the momentum flux. The propagation time and the rise time depend on the propagation process rather than on the initial state.

Burlaga, L. F.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Magnetospheric substorms - A model.

An attempt is made to integrate and interpret various polar and magnetospheric substorm phenomena as consequences of the acceleration process of auroral particles which could result from the diversion of a part of the magnetotail current to the night side of the auroral oval. Thus, this paper is not intended to be a literature survey, but to present a way along which magnetospheric substorms might be studied in the future.

Akasofu, S.-I.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Magnetospheric substorms.

A proposed model of the substorm growth phase describes a gradual development of internal magnetospheric convection driven by enhanced field-line reconnection at the front-side magnetopause. The observed increased tail magnetic field, inward motion of the tail current system, and inward displacement of the plasma sheet inner edge are shown to follow from a line-tied inward motion of the dayside magnetopause and a slow development of magnetospheric convection. Resulting changes in the nightside auroral oval ionosphere lead to the formation of the auroral electrojet which is the ground signature (magnetically) of substorm breakup.

Coroniti, F. V.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Electric fields in the ionosphere and magnetosphere.

Review of current techniques for measuring ionospheric and magnetospheric electric fields and existing measurements. Considerable progress in understanding electric fields has been made in the auroral regions where fields originating basically from convection patterns in the magnetosphere and modified by ionospheric interaction have been detected by both the barium ion cloud and double floating probe techniques and have been compared against predictions. The anticorrelation of electric fields and auroral arcs, the establishment of the auroral electrojet currents as Hall currents, the irregular nature of the electric fields, and the reversal of the electric fields between the eastward and westward electrojet regions have been some of the important observations. Recent barium ion cloud observations in the polar cap have indicated that the long assumed electrojet return current across the polar cap does not exist.

Maynard, N. C.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Onset of magnetospheric substorms.

An examination of the onset of magnetospheric substorms is made by using ATS 5 energetic particles, conjugate balloon X rays and electric fields, all-sky camera photographs, and auroral-zone magnetograms. It is shown that plasma injection to ATS distances, conjugate 1- to 10-keV auroral particle precipitation, energetic electron precipitation, and enhancements of westward magnetospheric electric-field component all occur with the star of slowly developing negative magnetic bays. No trapped or precipitating energetic-particle features are seen at ATS 5 when later sharp negative magnetic-bay onsets occur at Churchill or Great Whale River.

Tsurutani, B.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Behavior of outer radiation zone and a new model of magnetospheric substorm.

This paper presents particle data obtained from synchronous altitudes and attempts to evaluate the origin and nature of particle flux variations observed during substorms. The correlated particle intensities, time variations, and energy spectrums are compared between the equatorial and auroral zones. The correlated particle and field observations during substorms are tied together and a model of magnetospheric substorms is derived. Among the features predicted by the model is the poleward expansion of visual auroras observed at the onset of magnetospheric substorms. The model also explains how substorms are triggered in a few minutes time scale during sudden commencements.

Parks, G. K.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Can the ionosphere regulate magnetospheric convection?

Following a southward shift of the interplanetary magnetic field, which implies enhanced reconnection at the nose of the magnetosphere, the magnetopause shrinks from its Chapman-Ferraro equilibrium position. If the convective return of magnetic flux to the magnetopause equalled the reconnection rate, the magnetopause would not shrink. Consequently, there is a delay in the development of magnetospheric convection following the onset of reconnection, which is ascribed to line tying by the polar cusp ionosphere. A simple model relates the dayside magnetopause displacement to the currents feeding the polar cap ionosphere, from which the ionospheric electric field, and consequently, the flux return rate, may be estimated as a function of magnetopause displacement. Flux conservation arguments then permit an estimate of the time scale on which convection increases, which is not inconsistent with that of the substorm growth phase.

Coroniti, F. V.↗

NASA NTRS1972

A study of the electric field in an open magnetospheric model

The qualitative properties of an open magnetosphere and its electric field are examined and compared to a simple model of a dipole in a constant field and to actual observations. Many of these properties are found to depend on the separatrix, a curve connecting neutral points and separating different field-line regimes. In the simple model, the electric field in the central polar cap tends to point from dawn to dusk for a wide choice of external fields. Near the boundary of the polar cap electric equipotentials curve and become crescent-shaped, which may explain the correlation of polar magnetic variations with the azimuthal component of the interplanetary magnetic field, reported by Svalgaard. Modifications expected to occur in the actual magnetosphere are also investigated: in particular, it appears that bending of equipotentials may be reduced by cross-field flow during the merging of field lines and that open field lines connected to the polar caps emerge from a long and narrow slot extending along the tail.

Stern, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A magnetospheric field model incorporating the OGO 3 and 5 magnetic field observations

A magnetospheric field model is presented in which the usually assumed toroidal ring current is replaced by a circular disk current of finite thickness that extends from the tail to geocentric distances less than 3 earth radii. The drastic departure of this model from the concept of the conventional ring current lies in the fact that the current is continuous from the tail to the inner magnetosphere. This conceptual change was required to account for the recent results of analysis of the OGO 3 and 5 magnetic field observations. In the present model the cross-tail current flows along circular arcs concentric with the earth and completes circuit via surface currents on the magnetopause. Apart from these return currents in the tail magnetopause, Mead's model is used for the field from the magnetopause current. The difference scalar field, delta B, defined as the difference between the scalar field calculated from the present model and the magnitude of the dipole field is found to be in gross agreement with the observed delta B. An updated version of the delta B contours from the OGO 3 and 5 observations, which is used for the comparison, is presented.

Sugiura, M.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Earth's magnetospheric processes; Proceedings of the Symposium, Cortina, Italy, August 30-September 10, 1971.

New data obtained by satellites, rockets, aircraft, and ground-based observations are interpreted in papers dealing with the magnetospheric structure and processes, particle distributions, magnetic and electric fields, plasma convection, particle acceleration and diffusion mechanisms, and substorm phenomena. Attention is given to particle populations in different magnetospheric regions, auroral particle precipitation patterns, effects of electric fields on plasma convection, VLF phenomena, a high-energy proton model for the inner radiation belt, substorm behavior of plasma sheet particles, and interpretations of magnetic field variations during substorms. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Mccormac, B. M.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Injun 5 observations of magnetospheric electric fields and plasma convection.

Recent measurements of magnetospheric electric fields with the satellite Injun 5 have provided a comprehensive global survey of plasma convection at low altitudes in the magnetosphere. A persistent feature of these electric-field observations is the occurrence of an abrupt reversal in the convection electric field at auroral-zone latitudes. The plasma convection velocities associated with these reversals are generally directed E-W, away from the sun on the poleward side of the reversal, and toward the sun on the equatorward side of the reversal. Convection velocities over the polar cap region are normally less than those observed near the reversal region. The electric-field reversal is observed to be coincident with the 'trapping boundary' for electrons with energies E greater than 45 keV. Near local noon the region of anti-sunward convection poleward of the electric-field reversal/trapping boundary corresponds to the low-altitude extension of the polar-cusp plasma.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Thermal ions in the magnetosphere.

The distribution and dynamics of thermal (approximately 1 eV) plasma are of fundamental importance for understanding many magnetospheric processes. Above the ionosphere the bulk of the thermal plasma is found in the plasmasphere, which displays varying characteristics in the different LT regions. These different characteristics are reviewed with specific interest placed on the H(+) ion density profiles, since the H(+) ions are the main component of the plasmasphere. Plasmasphere dynamics and morphology can be explained in terms of a time-varying convection model of the magnetosphere which incorporates the bulge region as part of the main flow pattern of the plasmasphere.

Chappell, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Electric fields in the magnetosphere.

Two techniques, tracking the motions of Ba(+) clouds and measuring the differences in floating potential between symmetric double probes, have been highly successful in: (1) demonstrating the basic convective nature of magnetospheric electric fields, (2) mapping the global patterns of convection at upper ionosphere levels, and (3) revealing the physics of electric currents in the ionosphere and the importance of magnetosphere-ionosphere feedback in altering the imposed convection. The basic pattern of anti-solar convection across the polar cap and night toward day convection in both the evening and morning sectors at auroral belt latitudes persists at all levels of activity. The dawn-dusk potential drop across the polar cap (anti-solar convection) ranges from 20 to 100 kilovolts with the most typical values in the center of this range. The sum of morning and evening (night toward day convection) potential drops in the adjacent auroral belts roughly equals the polar cap drop in the opposite sense as expected.

Heppner, J. P.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A theoretical and experimental study of non-ducted VLF waves after propagation through the magnetosphere.

The nonducted propagation of artificial VLF waves through the magnetosphere has been studied by means of data obtained by the FR-1 satellite experiment, in which fixed frequency (16.8 kHz) waves radiated by a transmitter at the ground (at L equals 2.1) are received by the satellite, at 750 km altitude, both in the zone close to the transmitter and in the conjugate zone. From the wave-normal directions and Doppler shifts measured in the conjugate zone, it has been possible to identify waves that have been propagated from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere in both ducted and nonducted modes. In this paper, the main features of the nonducted wave have been interpreted by ray tracing in models of the magnetosphere. The results improve our understanding as to why very few whistlers are observed on the ground at low latitudes.

Cerisier, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

High-frequency electrostatic waves in the magnetosphere.

High-frequency electrostatic microinstabilities in magnetospheric plasmas are considered in detail. Rather special plasma parameters are found to be required to match the theoretical wave spectrum with satellite observations in the magnetosphere. In particular, it is necessary to have a cold and a warm species of electrons such that (1) the warm component has an anomalous velocity distribution function that is nonmonotonic in the perpendicular component of velocity and is the source of free energy driving the instabilities, (2) the density ratio of the cold component to the hot component is greater than about 0.01, and (3) the temperature ratio of the two components for cases of high particle density is no less than 0.1. These requirements and the corresponding instability criteria are satisfied only in the trapping region; this is also the region in which the waves are most frequently observed. The range of unstable wavelengths and an estimate of the diffusion coefficient are also obtained. The wave are found to induce strong diffusion in velocity space for low-energy electrons during periods of moderate wave amplitude.

Young, T. S. T.↗

NASA NTRS1973

On the relationship between the growth and expansion phases of substorms and magnetospheric convection.

The definition of the growth and expansion phases of substorms is considered in terms of temporal sequences of magnetospheric convection. It is suggested that the definition of these phases should rest on magnetospheric convection theories and data because of the ambiguities in the interpretation of ground magnetometer records from which these concepts arose originally. Reviewed data are shown to offer strong evidence for the validity and usefulness of the concepts of substorm growth and expansion phases.

Mozer, F. S.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A magnetospheric field model incorporating the OGO 3 and 5 magnetic field observations.

A magnetospheric field model is presented in which the usually assumed toroidal ring current is replaced by a circular disk current of finite thickness that extends from the tail to geocentric distances less than 3 earth radii. The drastic departure of this model from the concept of the conventional ring current lies in that the current is continuous from the tail to the inner magnetosphere. This conceptual change was required to account for the recent results of analysis of the OGO 3 and 5 magnetic field observations. In the present model the cross-tail current flows along circular arcs concentric with the earth and completes circuit via surface currents on the magnetopause. Apart from these return currents in the tail magnetopause, Mead's (1964) model is used for the field from the magnetopause current. The difference scalar field, Delta B, defined as the difference between the scalar field calculated from the present model and the magnitude of the dipole field, is found to be in gross agreement with the observed Delta B.

Sugiura, M.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Quantitative magnetospheric models derived from spacecraft magnetometer data

Quantitative models of the external magnetospheric field were derived by making least-squares fits to magnetic field measurements from four IMP satellites. The data were fit to a power series expansion in the solar magnetic coordinates and the solar wind-dipole tilt angle, and thus the models contain the effects of seasonal north-south asymmetries. The expansions are divergence-free, but unlike the usual scalar potential expansions, the models contain a nonzero curl representing currents distributed within the magnetosphere. Characteristics of four models are presented, representing different degrees of magnetic disturbance as determined by the range of Kp values. The latitude at the earth separating open polar cap field lines from field lines closing on the dayside is about 5 deg lower than that determined by previous theoretically-derived models. At times of high Kp, additional high latitude field lines are drawn back into the tail.

Mead, G. D.↗