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Evidence for periodic reconnection at Uranus?
Author(s) -
Richardson J. D.,
Belcher J. W.,
Selesnick R. S.,
Zhang M.,
Siscoe G. L.,
Eviatar A.
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/gl015i008p00733
Subject(s) - physics , uranus , magnetosheath , magnetosphere , geophysics , solar wind , ionosphere , saturn , interplanetary magnetic field , astrophysics , magnetopause , convection , plasma , astronomy , mechanics , planet , quantum mechanics
The unique orientation of Uranus at the time of the Voyager 2 encounter results in a convection dominated magnetosphere. Plasma and magnetic field data from the tail magnetosheath are presented. Velocity decreases of 5‐10% seem to occur with a 17 hour period. At least four repetitions of this decrease are observed, in all cases when flow passes over the dayside polar cap. One possible interpretation of these features is that they are signatures of dayside reconnection. The cause of the velocity decreases would be drag on the reconnected flux tubes which are coupled via Birkeland currents to the ionosphere. The coupling efficiency for power transfer between the solar wind and Uranian magnetosphere implied by these decreases is consistent with previous determinations of this quantity.