Field-aligned currents in the magnetosphere

Cummings, W. D.; Dessler, A. J.

doi:10.1029/jz072i003p01007

Cited by 170 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(21 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Birkeland currents flow along magnetic field lines to connect all these regions (Zmuda et al 1966(Zmuda et al , 1967Boström 1964Boström , 1967Cummings and Dessler 1967;Zmuda and Armstrong 1974;Potemra 1976a,b, 1978;Braithwaite and Rostoker 1981). Figure 2b shows the FAC structure deduced by Iijima and Potemra (1976b), which are associated with convective flows in the magnetosphere.…”

Section: Magnetospheric Current Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of Solar Wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere–Atmosphere Coupling and the Generation of Magnetospheric Currents

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We review the morphology and dynamics of the electrical current systems of the terrestrial magnetosphere and ionosphere. Observations from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) over the three years 2010 to 2012 are employed to illustrate the variability of the field-aligned currents that couple the magnetosphere and ionosphere, on timescales from minutes to years, in response to the impact of solar wind disturbances on the magnetosphere and changes in the level of solar illumination of the polar ionospheres. The variability is discussed within the context of the occurrence of magnetic reconnection between the solar wind and terrestrial magnetic fields at the magnetopause, the transport of magnetic flux within the magnetosphere, and the onset of magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail. The conditions under which the currents are expected to be weak, and hence minimally contaminate measurements of the internallyproduced magnetic field of the Earth, are briefly outlined.

show abstract

Section: Magnetospheric Current Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of Solar Wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere–Atmosphere Coupling and the Generation of Magnetospheric Currents

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These currents couple energy from the magnetosphere to the high latitude conducting ionospheres. Since the first in-situ satellite observations of transverse Correspondence to: D. L. Green (david.lindsay.green@gmail.com) magnetic perturbations associated with FACs (Zmuda et al, 1966;Cummings and Dessler, 1967;Zmuda et al, 1970;Armstrong and Zmuda, 1970), there has been a great deal of research to characterise their spatial and temporal variability (e.g., Zanetti et al, 1983;Potemra, 1985). The FAC configuration observed at low Earth orbit (LEO) altitudes reflects the structure of the magnetosphere.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and interplanetary magnetic field dependence of the field-aligned currents for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The configuration of the Earth's magnetosphere under various Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) and solar wind conditions alters the global distribution of FieldAligned Currents (FACs) at the high latitude ionospheres. We use magnetic field data obtained from the Iridium constellation to extend recent studies that infer the dependence of the global FAC configuration on IMF direction and magnitude, hemisphere and season. New results are a reduced IMF B y influence on the FAC configuration for the winter hemisphere and a redistribution of FAC to the nightside for winter relative to the summer hemisphere. These effects are linked to the winter ionosphere conductance distribution being dominated by localised nightside enhancement associated with ionisation from energetic particle precipitation. A comparison of an estimated open-closed field line boundary (OCFLB) with the Region 1 FAC locations shows reasonable agreement for summer FAC configurations. However, the OCFLB location is decoupled from the Region 1 FACs in winter, especially for IMF B z >0.

show abstract

“…The first in-situ observations were reported by Zmuda et al [1966] who attributed magnetic disturbances measured at 1100 km altitude to hydromagnetic (HM) wave activity. Cummings and Dessler [1967] proposed that FACs were responsible and subsequent studies [eg. Armstrong and Zmuda, 1973] interpreted the data in terms of FACs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of global field aligned currents using the iridium® System magnetometer data

Waters¹,

Anderson²,

Liou³

2001

Geophysical Research Letters

203

247

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Field-aligned currents in the magnetosphere

Cited by 170 publications

References 38 publications

Overview of Solar Wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere–Atmosphere Coupling and the Generation of Magnetospheric Currents

Overview of Solar Wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere–Atmosphere Coupling and the Generation of Magnetospheric Currents

Seasonal and interplanetary magnetic field dependence of the field-aligned currents for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Estimation of global field aligned currents using the iridium® System magnetometer data

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About