Energy flow and dynamical coupling in the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system.
Abstract
A solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system model is proposed which is directly driven by the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo. The dynamo feeds the Pedersen currents to the ionosphere by generating the field-aligned currents, yielding both Joule heat and ionospheric convective motion. The field-aligned currents associated with both the Pedersen and Hall currents introduce considerable complexity into this system by generating a potential drop along the geomagnetic field lines, and it is noted that the geometry of the open region at the polar cap changes drastically as the B(z) component of the IMF becomes positive.
- Publication:
-
Radio Science
- Pub Date:
- December 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1029/RS018i006p00971
- Bibcode:
- 1983RaSc...18..971A
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Heating;
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Energy Transfer;
- Ionospheric Disturbances;
- Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling;
- Solar Terrestrial Interactions;
- Solar Wind;
- Convective Flow;
- Dynamo Theory;
- Field Aligned Currents;
- Hall Effect;
- Interplanetary Magnetic Fields;
- Polar Caps;
- Earth Magnetosphere:Solar Wind;
- Solar Wind:Earth Magnetosphere