Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Magnetotail structures in a simulated earth's magnetosphere
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Rahman, H. U. Wessel, F. J. Minami, S. Yur, G. Birn, J. |
| Copyright Year | 1993 |
| Description | The structure of the magnetotail is investigated in a laboratory simulated magnetosphere. Particular emphasis is placed on the region of distant magnetotail where the closed field line region of the plasma sheet terminates and the process of reconnection takes place. Our study builds upon the previous investigation of the magnetotail where the main results were based on the magnetic field measurements in the tail region of the simulated magnetosphere. In this paper, more elaborate measurements of plasma flow and electric field are presented. Besides these measurements, this region of distant magnetotail is also explored by high resolution imaging with a gated optical imager (GOI) and by digital image analysis. These images clearly reveal a Y-type magnetic neutral line for the northward 'interplanetary' field (IMF) and a usual X-type for the southward IMF that confirms our previous results deduced from the magnetic field measurements. In the neighborhood of these neutral points a strong component of dawn to dusk electric field (E(sub y)) and a counterstreaming plasma flow is also observed. Plasma flow is measured by using a double sided Faraday cup which is also used to measure the y-component of tail current (J(sub y)) at different locations. These measurements reveal that the tail current is not carried by ions as previously thought, rather it is carried by electrons alone. |
| File Size | 541657 |
| Page Count | 18 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19930017955 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t88h3j91x |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1993-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Geophysics Plasma Layers Geomagnetic Tail High Resolution Imaging Techniques Ions Twilight Glow Interplanetary Magnetic Fields Earth Magnetosphere Image Analysis Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Magnetic Fields Electric Fields Electrons Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports ServerĀ (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |