Comparison of magnetosphere models with storm observations from Explorer 26

Abstract

Distortions of the inner magnetosphere observed during the storm of April 17, 1965, are compared with distortions produced by various models. Although a symmetrical ring current model agrees well with observation during the slow recovery phase of the storm, neither the ring current model nor the Williams-Mead tail can be adjusted to agree with the observed distortions in the development phase. Part of the discrepancy results from comparing static models with rapidly changing distortions in the real magnetosphere. During the initial phase, and even in quiet times, a compression model (untilted) cannot account for all the distortion observed in the inner magnetosphere.