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  • T93

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DOI

A quantitative model is developed of the magnetic field produced by the electric current system of region 2 Birkeland currents, closed via the partial ring current. The distribution of j(perpendicular-to) is computed from a given axially asymmetric spatial distribution of hot isotropic magnetospheric plasma over an infinitely thin L shell in an axisymmetric purely dipolar geomagnetic field, while the field-aligned current density is found from the continuity of the net electric current. The magnetic field distribution is derived by a Biot-Savart integral over the electric current system. An assumed cosine dependence of the plasma pressure on local time makes it possible to reduce the problem of analytical representation of the B field to two dimensions, The obtained numerical fits for the partial ring current/region 2 Birkeland current magnetic field are relatively simple, continuous, and valid throughout the whole extraterrestrial space from ionospheric heights up to tens of R(E). To our knowledge, this is a first global analytical representation for the magnetic field of the partial ring current system which can be incorporated in future advanced models of the external geomagnetic field.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5677-5690
Number of pages14
JournalJOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
Volume98
Issue numberA4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 1993

    Scopus subject areas

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

    Research areas

  • magnetosphere, ring current, Birkeland currents, Geomagnetic field, modeling

ID: 28014099