Inner magnetospheric modeling during geomagnetic active times

Date
2010
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Abstract

In this thesis we show that the entropy parameter PV5/3 , where P is the pressure and V is the volume of a flux tube with unit magnetic flux, plays a central role in the earthward plasma convection from the near- and middle-Earth plasma sheet to the inner magnetosphere. This work presents a series of numerical simulations, investigating the relationship between the value of PV5/3 and the different features of plasma earthward transport that occur during different types of events in geomagnetic active times. The simulations are conducted using the Rice-Convection-Model (RCM) and the Rice-Convection-Model-Equilibrium (RCM-E) that have carefully designed boundary conditions to simulate the effect of various values of PV 5/3. In Chapter 3 we present results of an RCM simulation of a sawtooth event where it is found that a dramatic reduction of PV5/3 on the boundary along a wide range of local times produces interchange convection in the inner magnetosphere and drives spatially quasi-periodic Birkeland currents that suggest an explanation for the finger-like aurora usually observed during this type of event. In Chapter 4 we present results of an RCM-E simulation of an isolated substorm, which is done by imposing depleted PV5/3 (a bubble) in the expansion phase. The results of this simulation reproduce typical features of a substorm and agree fairly well with multipoint observations. Chapter 6 presents a detailed analysis of the RCM-E expansion phase simulation which indicates that the reconfigurations of PV5/3, plasma pressure and magnetic field in an idealized bubble injection event can be quite complicated. Chapter 7 presents results of a superposed epoch study using Geotail data showing that the time variations of PV 5/3 are different in isolated substorms, pseudo-breakups and convection bay events, suggesting that bubbles have different characteristics in different modes of earthward transport. We follow this up with three corresponding RCM-E simulations by representing a sustained bubble, a transient bubble and sustained low PV5/3 plasma along the boundary. The simulations are roughly consistent with theoretical suggestions, superposed epoch results and some other observations. These simulations provide a systematic description of inner magnetospheric configuration during various active events, suggesting the temporal and spatial characteristics of PV5/3 in the plasma sheet as a key in the magnetospheric convection.

Description
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Type
Thesis
Keywords
Geophysics, Plasma physics
Citation

Yang, Jian. "Inner magnetospheric modeling during geomagnetic active times." (2010) Diss., Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/62131.

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