Magnetopause structure and the role of reconnection at the outer planets

Huddleston, D. E.; Russell, C. T.; Le, G.; Szabó, Á.

doi:10.1029/97ja02416

Cited by 69 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 59 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, in situ measurements of the magnetopause have shown evidence for reconnection, from changes in the component of the magnetic field normal to the magnetopause, and/or the detection of heated or mixed plasma populations (Huddleston et al 1997;McAndrews et al 2008;Lai et al 2012;. These latter studies have concluded that reconnection is able to proceed at a sufficient rate at different locations across the magnetopause to produce a persistent open flux region at Saturn.…”

Section: Open-closed Boundaries In Saturn's Magnetospherementioning

confidence: 96%

Auroral Processes at the Giant Planets: Energy Deposition, Emission Mechanisms, Morphology and Spectra

Branduardi‐Raymont

Galand

Hess

et al. 2015

The Magnetodiscs and Aurorae of Giant Planets

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Open-closed Boundaries In Saturn's Magnetospherementioning

confidence: 96%

Auroral Processes at the Giant Planets: Energy Deposition, Emission Mechanisms, Morphology and Spectra

Branduardi‐Raymont

Galand

Hess

et al. 2015

The Magnetodiscs and Aurorae of Giant Planets

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…On the noon magnetopause FTEs could arise for northward IMF conditions. The absence of FTE observations at Saturn's noon magnetopause (as reported, e.g., by Huddleston et al, 1997;Lai et al, 2012) could mean that the partially closed magnetosphere model may be realized for northward IMF. According to Fig.…”

Section: Southward and Northward Imfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Open and partially closed models of the solar wind interaction with outer planet magnetospheres: the case of Saturn

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. A wide variety of interactions take place between the magnetized solar wind plasma outflow from the Sun and celestial bodies within the solar system. Magnetized planets form magnetospheres in the solar wind, with the planetary field creating an obstacle in the flow. The reconnection efficiency of the solar-wind-magnetized planet interaction depends on the conditions in the magnetized plasma flow passing the planet. When the reconnection efficiency is very low, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) does not penetrate the magnetosphere, a condition that has been widely discussed in the recent literature for the case of Saturn. In the present paper, we study this issue for Saturn using Cassini magnetometer data, images of Saturn's ultraviolet aurora obtained by the HST, and the paraboloid model of Saturn's magnetospheric magnetic field. Two models are considered: first, an open model in which the IMF penetrates the magnetosphere, and second, a partially closed model in which field lines from the ionosphere go to the distant tail and interact with the solar wind at its end. We conclude that the open model is preferable, which is more obvious for southward IMF. For northward IMF, the model calculations do not allow us to reach definite conclusions. However, analysis of the observations available in the literature provides evidence in favor of the open model in this case too. The difference in magnetospheric structure for these two IMF orientations is due to the fact that the reconnection topology and location depend on the relative orientation of the IMF vector and the planetary dipole magnetic moment. When these vectors are parallel, two-dimensional reconnection occurs at the low-latitude neutral line. When they are antiparallel, three-dimensional reconnection takes place in the cusp regions. Different magnetospheric topologies determine different mapping of the open-closed boundary in the ionosphere, which can be considered as a proxy for the poleward edge of the auroral oval.

show abstract

“…Figures 11 and 12 show the magnetic field upon crossing the uranian and neptunian magnetopauses (Huddleston et al, 1997). The normal component is transiently large and unidirectional.…”

Section: Reconnectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outer planet magnetospheres: a tutorial

Russell

2004

Advances in Space Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Outer planetary magnetospheres represent giant laboratories for testing our ideas of how magnetospheres behave. In this tutorial review we examine the role of external and internal pressure in determining the size and shape of the magnetosphere. We examine the relative roles of reconnection with the solar wind magnetic field and the mass addition inside the magnetosphere in driving the circulation of plasma in the magnetosphere. We also examine how the jovian magnetosphere maintains a steady state in an average sense despite the continued addition of mass deep in the magnetosphere.

show abstract

Magnetopause structure and the role of reconnection at the outer planets

Cited by 69 publications

References 59 publications

Auroral Processes at the Giant Planets: Energy Deposition, Emission Mechanisms, Morphology and Spectra

Auroral Processes at the Giant Planets: Energy Deposition, Emission Mechanisms, Morphology and Spectra

Open and partially closed models of the solar wind interaction with outer planet magnetospheres: the case of Saturn

Outer planet magnetospheres: a tutorial

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About