Studies of paleomagnetospheric processes: Structure and dynamics of the geomagnetic environment in space during polarity transitions

地球磁层主要受超音速太阳风与内部地磁场偶极分量相互作用的控制。因此，极性转变对其结构和动力学有很大的影响。初步研究表明，边界层和当前系统的位置发生了显著变化，外部变化变得更加强烈和频繁。我们的目的是详细研究降低偶极子强度和增加高阶多极矩对磁层结构和动力学的影响。现代磁层的理论概念将被应用并推广到古地球的情况。将对三维MHD模拟进行分析，以产生参数磁场模型。需要这样的模型作为输入来处理地磁环境中的高能粒子动力学。由此得到的粒子通量为地球大气中核素的产生模型和臭氧消耗模型提供了基础。

Earth`s magnetosphere is mainly controlled by the interaction of the supersonic solar wind with the dipolar component of the internal geomagnetic field. Polarity transitions thus have a large effect on its structure and its dynamics. Preliminary studies showed that the locations of boundary layers and current systems change significantly and that external variations become stronger and more frequent. We aim at a detailed investigation of the influence of decreasing dipole strength and increasing higher order multipole moments on magnetospheric structure and dynamics. Theoretical concepts of present day`s magnetosphere will be applied and generalised to the paleo situation. Three-dimensional MHD simulations will be analysed to yield parametric magnetic field models. Such models are required as input to treat high-energy particle kinetics in the geomagnetic environment. The resulting particle fluxes provide a basis for models of nuclid production in Earth`s atmosphere as well as models of ozon depletion.