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Formation of a very thin current sheet in the near-earth magnetotail and the explosive growth phase of substormsA magnetofricional method is used to construct two-dimensional MHD equilibria of the Earth's magnetosphere for a given distribution of entropy functions(S = pV(exp gamma), where p is the plasma pressure and V is the tube volume per unit magnetic flux. It is found that a very thin current sheet with B (sub zeta) is less than 0.5 nu T and thickness less than 1000 km can be formed in the near-earth magnetotail (x is approximately -8 to -20R(sub e) during the growth phase of substorm. The tail current sheets are found to become thinner as the entropy or the entropy gradient increases. It is suggested that the new entropy anti-diffusion instability associated with plasma transport across field lines leads to magnetic field dipolarization and accelerates the formation of thin current sheet, which may explain the observed explosive growth phase of substorms.
Document ID
19950063690
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Lee, L. C.
(University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Zhang, L.
(University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Choe, G. S.
(University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Cai, H. J.
(University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 22
Issue: 9
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
95A95289
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: DE-FG06-91ER-13530
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1504
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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