A magnetospheric magnetic field model with flexible internal current systems

[摘要] A three dimensional B-field model of the Earth's magnetosphere satisfying the condition $abla$ $cdot$ B = 0 is described. Highly flexible ring and cross-tail current systems are combined with the vacuum B-field model of Voigt (1981), a fully shielded dipole within a fixed magnetopause geometry. The ring current consists of nested eastward and westward flowing current distributions which tilt with and remain axially symmetric about the magnetic dipole axis. To include realistic flexing of the current sheet with dipole tilt, the intensity and position of the westward flowing cross-tail current in the midnight meridian can be represented by arbitrary functions of the distance along the magnetotail.Model configurations are completely specified by four initial physical input parameters: the dipole tilt angle, the magnetopause stand-off distance, the geomagnetic index D$sp{m st}$, and the midnight equatorward boundary of the diffuse aurora. These parameters determine the relative position and strength of both the ring and cross-tail currents and provide for a diverse array of configurations including many degrees of magnetotail field stretching. The resulting equatorial flux levels, $riangle$B profiles, and the dipole tilt-dependent shape and position of the neutral sheet compare well with observations. With additional input parameters, the reconfiguration of the geomagnetic tail during magnetospheric substorms is modeled and incorporated into a magnetic field simulation of an observed substorm event. The ring and cross-tail currents, as prescribed by the set of initial input parameters, follow a physically reasonable sequence of development and magnetic flux densities are in general agreement with geosynchronous observations of the event.

[发布机构] Rice University

[效力级别] physics