The dipole tilt angle effect on the magnetosphere of Neptune – A laboratory simulation

Abstract

Recent observations of Neptune by Voyager 2 reveal that the dipole tilt angle is almost 50 degrees – close to that of Uranus. When comparing the magnetospheres of planets, it is therefore important to understand configurations of magnetic field lines with large dipole tilt angles. This paper deals with the laboratory characteristics of Neptune's magnetosphere whose dipole tilt angle dominates the configuration of its magnetic field lines and particle intrusions from interplanetary space. The dipole tilt angle has a considerable effect on the formation of the asymmetrical structure of the field lines and the cylindrical tail current sheet in the magnetosphere. The experiment also shows the effect of the x‐component of the interplanetary Magnetic field to form an asymmetrical magnetospheric structure.