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Neutral sheet current interruption and field‐aligned current generation by three dimensional driven reconnection
Author(s) -
Sato Tetsuya,
Hayashi Takaya,
Walker Raymond J.,
AshourAbdalla Maha
Publication year - 1983
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/gl010i003p00221
Subject(s) - current sheet , substorm , plasma sheet , current (fluid) , magnetic reconnection , physics , ionosphere , geophysics , magnetohydrodynamics , field (mathematics) , field line , magnetohydrodynamic drive , plasma , mechanics , magnetosphere , mathematics , pure mathematics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
We have simulated externally drived reconnection by solving the magnetohydrodynamic equations in a three‐dimensional, tail‐like geometry. As reconnection proceeds, the tail current is interrupted locally and field aligned currents are generated. The field aligned current flows towards the ionosphere on the morning side and away from the ionosphere in the evening. The field aligned currents flow in a narrow band at the outer edge of the plasma sheet. Thus, the simulation demonstrates that the nightside substorm current system is a natural consequence of the driven reconnection model.