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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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 5677-5690 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | A4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Apr 1993 |
ID: 28014099