magnetotail current
Quick Summary
The magnetotail current is a system of electrical currents flowing from dawn to dusk on the nightside of Earth, extending far beyond 200 Earth radii. This current is generated by the motion of charged particles, primarily due to curvature drift, in a region where Earth's magnetic field is significantly stretched out into a tail-like configuration by the solar wind.1
This tail current is closely related to the magnetopause current and is produced by the same mechanism of charge deflection. However, it differs because a portion of the tail current flows within Earth's magnetic field in a region known as the plasma sheet. The overall configuration of Earth's magnetosphere, including the magnetotail, is a result of the interaction between Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. This interaction can lead to phenomena like auroras, which are visible light emissions caused by charged particles from the solar wind colliding with Earth's upper atmosphere.123
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geomagnetic fieldThe magnetotail currentRadially outward near local midnight rather than at local noon, there is an entirely different current system. Beginning at approximately 10 Re and extending well beyond 200 Re is the tail current system. This current is from dawn to dusk in the sameā¦
Read MoreRadially outward near local midnight rather than at local noon, there is an entirely different current system. Beginning at approximately 10 Re and extending well beyond 200 Re is the tail current system. This current is from dawn to dusk in the sameā¦
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EarthThe geomagnetic field and magnetosphereThe magnetotail can store for hours an enormous amount of energyāseveral billion megajoules, which is roughly equivalent to the yearly electricity production of many smaller countries). This occurs through a process called reconnection, in which the Sunās magnetic field, dragged into interplanetary space by the solarā¦
Read MoreThe magnetotail can store for hours an enormous amount of energyāseveral billion megajoules, which is roughly equivalent to the yearly electricity production of many smaller countries). This occurs through a process called reconnection, in which the Sunās magnetic field, dragged into interplanetary space by the solarā¦
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ionosphere and magnetosphereMagnetosphereThe magnetotail can extend to such great distances because on the nightside the forces associated with the magnetic field and the solar wind are parallel.
Read MoreThe magnetotail can extend to such great distances because on the nightside the forces associated with the magnetic field and the solar wind are parallel.
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