On the origin of the cusp field-aligned currents
Item
Title (Dublin Core)
en-US
On the origin of the cusp field-aligned currents
Description (Dublin Core)
en-US
A complicated system of field-aligned currents is known to exist in the high-latitude region near noon, associated with the cusp. We suggest that the equatorward part of this system, referred to as the Region 1 field-aligned currents, is caused by the leakage of the field-aligned currents associated with the rotational discontinuities at the dayside magnetopause. The poleward part, referred to as the cusp field-aligned currents, is associated with the tail magnetopause. In this situation, it can be shown that the direction of the field-aligned currents at the magnteopause is controlled by the y-component of the interplanetary magnetic field (By). The poleward (equatorward) part of this field-aligned current system is found to flow out of (into) the northern polar ionosphere when By > 0 and into (out of) the northern ionsophere when By < 0. This current pattern reverses systematically in the southern polar ionosphere. Therefore, the suggested mechanism can explain qualitatively the observed changes of the cusp current systems. Further, the latitudinal width of the cusp field-aligned current system at the ionospheric altitude is estimated to be 100-400 km, consistent with observations.
ARK: https://n2t.net/ark:/88439/y057041
Permalink: https://geophysicsjournal.com/article/235
ARK: https://n2t.net/ark:/88439/y057041
Permalink: https://geophysicsjournal.com/article/235
Creator (Dublin Core)
Lee, L.C.
Kan, J.R.
Akasofu, S.-I.
Subject (Dublin Core)
en-US
Rotational discontinuity
en-US
Field-aligned currents
en-US
Atmosphere
Publisher (Dublin Core)
en-US
Journal of Geophysics
Date (Dublin Core)
1985-08-29
Type (Dublin Core)
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
en-US
Peer-reviewed Article
Format (Dublin Core)
application/pdf
Identifier (Dublin Core)
https://journal.geophysicsjournal.com/JofG/article/view/235
Source (Dublin Core)
en-US
Journal of Geophysics; Vol 57 No 1 (1985): Journal of Geophysics; 217-221
2643-2986
2643-9271
Language (Dublin Core)
eng
Relation (Dublin Core)
https://journal.geophysicsjournal.com/JofG/article/view/235/195