Open AccessStorm time variation in the magnetospheric magnetic field
Author(s) -
Ostapenko A. A.,
Maltsev Y. P.
Publication year - 2000
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 - 10.1029/1999ja900324
Subject(s) - noon , storm , midnight , magnetic field , physics , geomagnetic storm , magnetosphere , geophysics , geology , field line , astrophysics , atmospheric sciences , geodesy , meteorology , earth's magnetic field , astronomy , quantum mechanics
We used the database of Fairfield et al . [1994], which includes several tens of thousands three‐component magnetic measurements, to study the external magnetic field at distances of 10 R E > x > −30 R E under three levels of storm activity: Dst > 0, −50 < Dst < 0, and Dst < −50 nT. The field pattern is obtained for a number of magnetospheric planes. In the major part of the equatorial plane a depression of the magnetic field takes place, expanding and growing with the increase of storm activity. For the midnight sector the point of the deepest depression is located at the distance of a few Earth radii. In the magnetotail lobes the B x field component also grows with storm activity, the most pronounced growth being displayed in the near‐Earth lobe regions. The external field in the noon‐midnight meridian plane resembles the field produced by the cross‐tail current, intensifying with the enhancement of the storm time depression.