| タイトル | Magnetotail structures in a simulated Earth's magnetosphere |
| 本文（外部サイト） | http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19930017955 |
| 著者（英） | Wessel, F. J.; Yur, G.; Minami, S.; Birn, J.; Rahman, H. U. |
| 著者所属（英） | California Univ. |
| 発行日 | 1993-01-01 |
| 言語 | eng |
| 内容記述 | 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. |
| NASA分類 | GEOPHYSICS |
| レポートNO | 93N27144
NASA-CR-193090
NAS 1.26:193090 |
| 権利 | No Copyright |
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