Steady state plasmapause positions deduced from McIlwain's electric field models

dc.contributor.author	Lemaire, J.
dc.date	1976
dc.date.accessioned	2017-09-01T12:11:13Z
dc.date.available	2017-09-01T12:11:13Z
dc.identifier.uri	https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/6092
dc.description	It has recently been suggested that the plasmasphere of the Earth is peeled off near midnight (at L= 4.5 for Kp = 1-2) by 'Plasma Elements Interchange Motion' driven by centrifugal or inertial forces. McIlwain's(1974) convection electric field model E3H with a variable scale factor f has been used to calculate different plasmapause positions and shapes. The new theoretical models obtained with f∼-1.2 are in agreement with observations of whistlers and of the PROGNOZ satellites, for periods of very low geomagnetic activity (i.e. Kp < 1). Furthermore the numerical models corresponding to f∼-0.7 fit qualitatively the observations of the plasmasphere and plasmapause when the geomagnetic activity has a higher constant level (i.e. 2 <Kp< 4). A tentative relation between f and Kp is deduced.
dc.language	eng
dc.title	Steady state plasmapause positions deduced from McIlwain's electric field models
dc.type	Article
dc.subject.frascati	Physical sciences
dc.audience	Scientific
dc.source.title	Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics
dc.source.volume	38
dc.source.issue	11
dc.source.page	1041-1046
Orfeo.peerreviewed	Yes
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/0021-9169(76)90031-3
dc.identifier.scopus	2-s2.0-0347726873