Open AccessReverse convection potential: A statistical study of the general properties of lobe reconnection and saturation effects during northward IMF
Author(s) -
Sundberg K. Å. T.,
Cumnock J. A.,
Blomberg L. G.
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1029/2008ja013838
Subject(s) - interplanetary magnetic field , convection , geophysics , polar cap , magnetic reconnection , solar wind , saturation (graph theory) , interplanetary spaceflight , polar , geology , physics , magnetic field , ionosphere , mechanics , astronomy , mathematics , quantum mechanics , combinatorics
The saturation tendency of the cross‐polar potential for southward interplanetary magnetic fields (IMFs) has been the subject of numerous studies; however, the behavior of the reverse convection potential when the IMF is northward remains less clear. In this study, we present a thorough statistical analysis of the four‐cell convection pattern associated with northward IMF and lobe reconnection based on a large set of DMSP F13 satellite data. Results show a behavior much similar to the southward IMF case, with a clear saturation tendency of the reverse convection potential for strong solar wind electric fields both seen in the data and validated in the statistical analysis. The saturated potential level reaches a limit of about 60 kV, on the order of a fourth of the saturated potential seen for dayside reconnection during southward IMF.