The interchange cycle: A fundamental mode of magnetic flux circulation for northward interplanetary magnetic field

The interchange cycle is a mode of magnetic flux circulation that dominates when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle (θc ≡ atan2(BY, BZ)) lies in the range of ∣θc∣ 30°. It consists of IMF‐lobe reconnection in one hemisphere and lobe‐closed reconnection in the other hemisphere, produc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2009-02, Vol.36 (3), p.n/a
Main Authors: Watanabe, Masakazu, Sofko, George J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Atmospheric sciences
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
interchange cycle
interchange reconnection
Ionosphere
Magnetic fields
Magnetism
Physics
reverse convection
Sun
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Summary:The interchange cycle is a mode of magnetic flux circulation that dominates when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle (θc ≡ atan2(BY, BZ)) lies in the range of ∣θc∣ 30°. It consists of IMF‐lobe reconnection in one hemisphere and lobe‐closed reconnection in the other hemisphere, producing in the ionosphere an interchange‐type merging cell in the former hemisphere and a reciprocal cell in the latter hemisphere. For a given IMF clock angle and a given dipole tilt angle, there usually exist two independent interchange cycles. Thus the two interchange cycles drive twin reverse cells in both hemispheres, but the category of each reverse cell (either an interchange‐type merging cell or a reciprocal cell) depends on the given conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate how the reverse cell pattern changes systematically depending on the IMF orientation and the dipole tilt.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2008GL036682