HR: 14:10h
AN: SM13E-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Ring Current Recovery: Electric Field and Plasma Sheet Density Effects
AU: * O'Brien, T P
EM: paul.obrien@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, Mail Stop: CH3-210 15049 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151, United States
AU: Lemon, C L
EM: colby.l.lemon@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, Mail Stop: CH3-210 15049 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151, United States
AU: Guild, T B
EM: timothy.b.guild@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, Mail Stop: CH3-210 15049 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151, United States
AB: Recent simulation results agree that modifying the near-earth plasma sheet density at the start of the recovery phase of a magnetic storm ought to dramatically modify the recovery rate. Specifically, simulations predict that with lower plasma sheet density, the ring current recovers more quickly. Continued convection during the recovery phase can amplify this effect. We present an observational study that appears to contradict the simulations: the predominant controlling factor of the initial rate of recovery is the convection strength, while plasma sheet density plays at most a minor role.
DE: 2760 Plasma convection (2463)
DE: 2764 Plasma sheet
DE: 2778 Ring current
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting