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Reconstruction of a magnetic flux rope from THEMIS observations
Author(s) -
Lui A. T. Y.,
Sibeck D. G.,
Phan T.,
Angelopoulos V.,
McFadden J.,
Carlson C.,
Larson D.,
Bonnell J.,
Glassmeier K.H.,
Frey S.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2007gl032933
Subject(s) - magnetosheath , physics , magnetosphere , rope , magnetopause , flux (metallurgy) , magnetic field , geophysics , magnetic flux , computational physics , metallurgy , materials science , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , engineering
We investigate a magnetic flux rope (MFR) observed by THEMIS near the duskside magnetopause on 20 May 2007 using the reconstruction technique based on solving the Grad‐Shafranov equation. The MFR has characteristics distinct from the adjacent magnetosheath and magnetosphere regions. In spite of these differences, the reconstruction result shows that the MFR is connected simultaneously with both the magnetosheath and the magnetosphere in terms of the magnetic vector potential characteristics. This result provides strong evidence that the MFR represents the union of these two regions. It has a small spatial dimension of ∼0.5 R E , a strong core magnetic field of >50 nT, and an intense axial current density of >40 nA/m 2 with non‐negligible current densities transverse to its axis.