Solar Wind - Magnetosphere - Ionosphere Coupling

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Our understanding of the dynamics of the magnetosphere will be advanced by this proposed research in three ways: (1) to carry to a new and significantly greater level of completeness the assembly of the basic engine that drives magnetospheric circulation, (2) specify the global geometry of magnetospheric circulation for times when it appears to operate in reverse (up to 50% of the time), and (3) graphically demonstrate and quantitatively evaluate over an entire magnetospheric cross section the coupling by which the solar wind powers the engine that drives magnetospheric circulation. The first project will combine for the first time separate and distinct models for three major components of the engine (voltage generator, current generator, and ring current energy storage element) into a single, physically explicit, self-consistent, quantitative model that predicts the distribution of currents and voltages over the ionospheric surfaces on which magnetospheric circulation is expressed. The second project will produce quantitatively explicit, global magnetic field maps showing for the first time how hemispherical asymmetry plays a critical role in establishing reverse circulation. The third project will produce empirically derived magnetic field maps (from IMP 8 magnetic field data) showing how the solar wind magnetic field - the coupling field - drapes over and attaches to the magnetosphere to deliver the power to the engine that drives magnetospheric circulation.