HR: 1340h
AN: SM43A-1071    [Abstracts]
TI: 3D PIC simulation of the magnetosphere during IMF rotation from north to south: signatures of substorm triggering in the magnetotail
AU: * Lembege, B
EM: lembege@cetp.ipsl.fr
AF: CETP/IPSL, Avenue Europe, Velizy, 78140, France
AU: Cai, D
EM: cai@cs.tsukuba.ac.jp
AF: University of Tsukuba, Ten-nou-dai, Tsukuba, 305-8573, Japan
AU: Nishikawa, K
EM: Ken-Ichi.Nishikawa@nsstc.nasa.gov
AF: NSSTC, Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, 35805, United States
AB: Three dimensional PIC simulations are performed in order to analyse the dynamics of the magnetotail as the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotates from northward to southward direction. This dynamics reveals to be quite different within meridan/equatorial planes over two successive phases of this rotation. First , as IMF rotates from North to Dawn-Dusk direction, the X-Point (magnetic reconnection) evidenced in the magnetotail (meridian plane) is moving earthward (from x=-35 Re to x=-17.5 ) distance at which it stabilizes. This motion is coupled with the formation of "Crosstail- S" patterns (within the plane perpendicular to the Sun-Earth mine) through the neutral sheet in the nearby magnetotail. Second, as IMF rotates from dawndusk to South, the minimum B field region is expanding within the equatorial plane and forms a ring . This two-steps dynamics is analyzed in strong association with the cross field magnetotail current Jy, in order to recover the signatures of substorms triggering.
DE: 2784 Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
DE: 2790 Substorms
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting