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Magnetic flux transfer at the magnetopause based on single X line bursty reconnection
Author(s) -
Scholer Manfred
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i004p00291
Subject(s) - magnetopause , magnetosheath , physics , magnetic reconnection , geophysics , interplanetary magnetic field , flux (metallurgy) , magnetosphere , field line , line (geometry) , magnetic flux , solar wind , magnetic field , geometry , materials science , mathematics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
A model of flux transfer events (FTEs) at the dayside magnetopause is proposed, which is based on non‐stationary reconnection along a single X line over a large longitudinal segment. An individual field line coming from the magnetospheric side constitutes after reconnection a loop‐like structure in the magnetopause current layer and leaves into the magnetosheath. In the presence of a B y component of the magnetic field in the transition region of the magnetopause each loop is twisted in the y direction. Whereas traditionally FTEs are considered to be localized flux tubes with a helical field inside, in the present model field lines come from the magnetospheric side over a large longitudinal segment, have a loop‐like structure in the magnetopause resulting in the FTE signatures, and leave over the same segment in longitude into interplanetary space.