Open AccessA simple model of the flux content of the distant magnetotail
Author(s) -
Milan S. E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2004ja010397
Subject(s) - flux (metallurgy) , physics , latitude , polar , field line , polar cap , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , plasma , astronomy , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
A simple model is presented which allows the profile of open flux within the magnetotail lobes to be determined from a knowledge of the present size of the polar cap and the past history of low‐latitude and high‐latitude dayside reconnection. The model shows that the nominal length of the tail is dependent on the elapsed time since reconnection of the oldest open field lines and that a much longer disconnected tail and wake can exist beyond this. The model is applied to two 8‐hour intervals of observations, which indicate that the length of the tail can vary by almost a factor of 10, between ∼400 and 4000 R E , in just a few hours. In addition, differing rates of lobe reconnection in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are shown to lead to considerable differences in the lengths of the two magnetotail lobes.