HR: 1340h
AN: SM33B-0457    [Abstracts]
TI: Effects of Pressure Gradients and Convection on the Inner Plasma Sheet Stability.
AU: * Prosolin, V I
EM: victor@phys.ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, SB 605, University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Ab T2N1N4 Canada
AU: Voronkov, I
EM: igor@phys.ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, SB 605, University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Ab T2N1N4 Canada
AU: Donovan, E
EM: eric@phys.ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, SB 605, University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Ab T2N1N4 Canada
AB: We present a computer model based on a new numerical algorithm that solves the system of nonlinear ideal MHD equations. The code uses dipolar coordinates and is designed specifically to simulate the near-Earth plasma sheet region which has a near-dipolar field line topology. The objective of this work is a detailed study of the inner plasma sheet as a region of particular importance for auroral processes, since there is substantial evidence of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and mapping between the inner plasma sheet and proton precipitation area. Two factors affecting the stability of the inner plasma sheet are considered - strong earthward plasma pressure gradients and magnetospheric convection. Modeling results show that pressure gradients occurring in the the plasma sheet lead to forming of a localized B-min region. Using the model, we have found a threshold of ballooning instability in the region. Finally, we examine effects of different convection patterns and perform stability analysis for these configurations.
DE: 2730 Magnetosphere: inner
DE: 2740 Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics
DE: 2753 Numerical modeling
DE: 2760 Plasma convection (2463)
DE: 2764 Plasma sheet
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005