Time-dependent configuration changes of the magnetotail and plasma sheet thinning

Abstract

The configuration of the magnetotail magnetic field has been calculated for a situation where a disruption of a portion of the tail current system develops. The decrease of the current in a localized region of the magnetotail leads to a collapse of the magnetic field in that vicinity. The calculated configuration of the field resembles what is predicted by reconnection models with the field lines moving toward the neutral sheet and then connecting and either moving toward or away from the earth. Associated with this changing magnetic field there is an induced electric field which will then influence the motion of the plasma in the magnetotail via E × B drifts. When the current from X sm = −20 to −40 R E in the tail is decreasing with a tune-constant of 0.5 h the electric field produced, which is primarily westward, has a maximum value of 0.83 mV m −1 and produces plasma sheet thinning velocities of 0.3 km s −1. Higher velocities result for more rapid rates of current decrease, and they agree well with experimental observations. The plasma flows in the sunward direction are, however, much smaller than what has been observed. This is due in part to the inability of the magnetic field model to adequately represent the magnetic field in the immediate vicinity of the neutral sheet. Use of an improved model would give better agreement with the observations. The calculations show that the induced electric field of a time-dependent magnetic field is able to explain certain observed features of the plasma sheet motions. Also, this agreement suggests that the assumption that there is no charge separation contribution to the electric field may be reasonable during situations of large scale and rapid current disruptions in the magnetotail.