Laboratory Simulation of the Magnetosphere, Magnetotail Reconnection and the Study of Field-Aligned Currents.
Abstract
Laboratory simulation of the Earth's magnetosphere is performed. A wide plasma beam with plasma density ~1013 cm ^{-3}, velocity ~10^7 cm/s, temperature ~10 eV and pulse duration ~100mu simulates the solar wind plasma. An externally applied magnetic field throughout the interaction chamber is varied between -300 to +300 G to simulate the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Detailed characterization of the flow of this plasma across the IMF shows various degrees of diamagnetism and vec E x vec B propagation. This magnetized plasma beam interacts with a spherical dipole magnetic field that simulates the planetary field to form a planetary type plasma sphere. Cusp structures and particle precipitations are studied with optical time exposure photographs of the simulated magnetosphere. The structure is strongly controlled by the polarity of the IMF. The global structure of the magnetosphere is measured in detail for different values of the IMF at various locations in the magnetosphere. Particularly, the magnetic field measurements in the tail reveal interesting reconnection processes and above the polar region, the structure of field aligned currents that are similar to the ones obtained from the satellites above the polar region of the Earth. The main experimental parameters are selected in such a way that, at least, MHD scaling is satisfied.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- November 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990PhDT.........5Y
- Keywords:
-
- Physics: Fluid and Plasma, Physics: Astronomy and Astrophysics;
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Field Aligned Currents;
- Geomagnetic Tail;
- Interplanetary Magnetic Fields;
- Magnetic Field Reconnection;
- Magnetohydrodynamics;
- Plasma Interactions;
- Plasmas (Physics);
- Simulation;
- Solar Wind;
- Electron Beams;
- Exposure;
- Particle Precipitation;
- Polarity;
- Position (Location);
- Geophysics