Steady state magnetic field configurations for the Earth's magnetotail

Abstract

We present a two‐dimensional, force‐balanced magnetic field model in which flux tubes have constant p V γ throughout an extended region of the nightside plasma sheet, between approximately 36 R E geocentric distance and the region of the inner edge of the plasma sheet. We have thus demonstrated the theoretical existence of a steady state magnetic field configuration that is force‐balanced and also consistent with slow, lossless, adiabatic, earthward convection within the limit of the ideal MHD (isotropic pressure, perfect conductivity). The numerical solution was constructed for a two‐dimensional magnetosphere with a rectangular magnetopause and nonflaring tail. The primary characteristics of our steady state convection solution are (1) a pressure maximum just tailward of the inner edge of the plasma sheet and (2) a deep, broad minimum in equatorial magnetic field strength B ze , also just tailward of the inner edge. Our results are consistent with Erickson's (1985) convection time sequences, which exhibited analogous pressure peaks and B ze minima. Observations do not indicate the existence of a B ze minimum, on the average. We suggest that the configurations with such deep minima in B ze may be tearing‐mode unstable, thus leading to substorm onset in the inner plasma sheet.