A two‐dimensional MHD simulation is performed to investigate the evolution and the asymptotic quasi‐static state (AQSS) of the vortex‐ induced tearing mode instability (VITM) at the magnetospheric boundary. The original VITM model is extended by including By, a magnetic field component along the invariant direction, and varying N, the number density, which makes the model applicable to a wide region on the day side magnetopause. The AQSS is found to be characterized by a large‐scale magnetic island together with a colocated vortex tube. The structure of the magnetic island is studied and compared with observations. The possible role of the VITM in the formation of flux transfer events is discussed.

We propose that flux transfer events (FTEs) at the dayside magnetopause are formed by fluid vortices. in the flow field. According to the view of vortex-induced reconnection a FTE tube is a magnetic fluid vortex tube (MF vortex tube). The motion of a FTE tube can be represented by that of a MF vortex in the formation region located in the dayside magnetopause region. This study deals with the internal and external influences governing the motion of MF vortex tubes.The equations of motion of a vortex tube are established and solved. It is found that a FIE tube moves from low latitude to high latitude with a certain speed. However, the mofional path is not a straight line but oscillates about the northward direction for the northern hemisphere. The motional velocity, amplitude and period of the oscillation depend on the flow field and magnetic field in the magnetosheath and magnetosphere as well as the size of the FIE tube.