Effects of Magnetotail Current on the Structure of the Earth''s Magnetosphere

• Main Authors: HUANG, C. J., 黃思傑
• Other Authors: YEH, T.
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/76725137576529746900

碩士 === 國立中央大學 === 太空科學研究所 === 87 === Much of past research has been devoted to investigating the shape of the Earth''s magnetosphere which, is confined by the solar wind. These studies, whether in closed or open models of magnetosphere, did not consider the magnetotail current. According to in situ observations, the magnetosphere''s tail has a neutral sheet current. Therefore, the effects of magnetotail current should be included in model studies. This paper is mainly concerned with the two-dimensional noon-midnight meridional plane of the magnetosphere that includes a magnetotail current. We also make a comparison with magnetoshere that doesn''t include a magnetotail current. We use the method of images to account for the magnetopause current, which is induced by the solar wind''s dynamic pressure. The neutral sheet current is represented by a line current. We shall discuss in detail the neutral points of the magnetic field and the topological structure of the magnetosphere. The results of our study indicate that the inclusion of the magnetotail current increases the number of the neutral points, thus the topological structure of the magnetosphere changes significantly.