Skip to main content
Log in

Inductive electric fields in the magnetotail and their relation to auroral and substorm phenomena

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper reviews the importance of inductive electric fields in explaining different magnetospheric and auroral phenomena during moderately and highly disturbed conditions. Quiet-time particle energization and temporal development of the tail structure during the substorm growth phase are explained by the presence of a large-scale electrostatic field directed from dawn to dusk over the magnetotail. Conservation of the first adiabatic invariant in the neutral sheet with a small value of the gradient in the magnetic field implies that the longitudinal energy increases at each crossing of the neutral sheet. At a certain moment, this may result in a rapid local growth of the current and in an instability that triggers the onset. During the growth phase energy is stored mainly in the magnetic field, since the energy density in the electric field is negligible compared to that of the magnetic field (ratio 1: 107). An analytical model is described in which the characteristic observations of a substorm onset are taken into account. One major feature is that the triggering is confined to a small local time sector. During moderate disturbances, the induction fields in the magnetotail are stronger by at least one order of magnitude than the average cross-tail field. Temporal development of the disturbed area results in X- and O-type neutral lines. Particles near to these neutral lines are energized to over 1 MeV energies within a few seconds, due to an effective combination of linear and betatron acceleration. The rotational property of the induction field promotes energization in a restricted area with dimensions equivalent to a few Earth's radii. The model also predicts the existence of highly localized cable-type field-aligned currents appearing on the eastern and western edges of the expanding auroral bulge. It is shown that the predictions agree with satellite observations and with the data obtained from the two-dimensional instrument networks operated in Northern Europe during the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS, 1976–79).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akasofu, S.-I.: 1964, Planet. Space Sci. 12, 273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I.: 1968, Polar and Magnetospheric Substorms, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I.: 1974, Space Sci. Rev. 16, 617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I.: 1980, Planet. Space Sci. 28, 933.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I.: 1981, Space Sci. Rev. 28, 121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I. and Kan, J. R. (eds.): 1981, Physics of Auroral Arc Formation, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I. and Meng, C.-I.: 1969, J. Geophys. Res. 74, 293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I., Kimball, D. S., and Meng, C.-I.: 1965, J. Atmospheric Terrest. Phys. 27, 173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akasofu, S.-I., Eather, R. H., and Bradbury, J. N.: 1969, Planet. Space Sci. 17, 1409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H.: 1968, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 4379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H.: 1976, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 4019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H.: 1977, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 15, 271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H.: 1981, Cosmic Plasma, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland, p. 37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfvén, H., and Fälthammar, C.-G.: 1963, Cosmical Electrodynamics, Fundamental Principles, 2nd Edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, K. A.: 1965, J. Geophys. Res. 70, 4741.

    Google Scholar 

  • Axford, W. I.: 1969, Rev. Geophys. 7, 421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Axford, W. I. and Hines, C. O.: 1961, Can. J. Phys. 39, 1433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, D. N., Hones, E. W., Jr., Payne, J. B., and Feldman, W. C.: 1981, Geophys. Res. Letters 8, 179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumjohann, W.: 1982, ‘Ionospheric and Field-aligned Current Systems in the Auroral Zone: A Concise Review’, Invited paper (C.2.3.1) COSPAR XXIV, Ottawa.

  • Baumjohann, W. and Kamide, Y.: 1981, J. Geomag. Geoelectr. 33, 297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumjohann, W., Pellinen, R. J., Opgenoorth, H. J., and Nielsen, E.: 1981, Planet. Space Sci. 29, 431.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beard, D. B., Bird, M., and Huang, Y. H.: 1970, Planet. Space Sci. 18, 1349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belian, R. D., Baker, D. N., Hones, E. W., Jr., Higbie, P. R., Bame, S. J., and Asbridge, J. R.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 1415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birn, J. and Hones, E. W., Jr.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 6802.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boström, R.: 1964, J. Geophys. Res. 69, 4983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brice, N. M.: 1967, J. Geophys. Res. 72, 5193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, D. S.: 1981, in S.-I. Akasofu and J. R. Kan (eds.), Physics of Auroral Arc Formation, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., p. 103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, D. S., Hall, D. S., Lepine, D. R., and Mason, R. W.: 1977, Nature 266, 148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov, S. V. and Sasorov, P. V.: 1975, Astron. J. 52, 763 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Caan, M. N., McPherron, R. L., and Russell, C. T.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 8087.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caan, M. N., McPherron, R. L., and Russel, C. T.: 1977, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 4837.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camidge, F. P. and Rostoker, G.: 1970, Can. J. Phys. 48, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbary, J. R. and Krimigis, S. M.: 1979, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 7123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S. and Ferraro, V. C. A.: 1931, Terr. Mag. Atmosph. Elec. 36, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauer, C. R. and McPerron, R. L.: 1974, J. Geophys. Res. 79, 2811.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coroniti, F. V. and Kennel, C. F.: 1972, J. Geophys. Res. 77, 3361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, S. W. H.: 1978, Planet. Space Sci. 26, 539.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cragin, B. L. and Heikkila, W. J.: 1981, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 19, 223.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeForest, S. E. and McIlwain, C. E.: 1971, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 3587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dungey, J. W.: 1961, Phys. Rev. Letters 6, 47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dungey, J. W.: 1963, J. Geophys. Res. 68, 3540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairfield, D. H. and Ness, N. F.: 1970, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 7032.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairfield, D.H., Lepping, R. P., Hones E.W., Fr., Bame, S. J., and Asbridge, J. R.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 1396.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fennell, J. F.: 1970, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 7048.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukunishi, H.: 1975, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galeev, A. A.: 1979, Space Sci. Rev. 23, 411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galeev, A. A. and Zelenyi, L. M.: 1976, Sov. Phys. JETP 43, 1113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galeev, A. A., Coroniti, F.V., and Ashour-Abdalla, M.: 1978, Geophys. Res. Letters 5, 707.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwald, R. A., Weiss, W., Nielsen, E., and Thomson, N. R.: 1978, Radio Sci. 13, 1021.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1973, Astrophys. Space Sci. 23, 261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1974, J. Geophys. Res. 79, 2496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1978, Planet. Space Sci. 26, 121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1981, in S.-I. Akasofu and J. R. Kan (eds.), Physics of Auroral Arc Formation, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., p. 266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J.: 1982, Geophys. Res. Letters 9, 159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J. and Pellinen, R. J.: 1977, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 1610.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heikkila, W. J., Pellinen, R. J., Fälthammar, C.-G., and Block, L. P.: 1979, Planet, Space Sci. 27, 1383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, T. W.: 1974, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 12, 379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hines, C. O.: 1963, Planet. Space Sci. 10, 239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hones, E. W., Jr., Lui, A. T. Y., Bame, S. J. and Singer, S.: 1974, J. Geophys. Res. 79, 1385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hones, E. W., Jr., Palmer, I. D., and Higbie, P. R.: 1976, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 3866.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hultqvist, B., Borg, H., Riedler, W., and Christophersen, P.: 1971, Planet. Space Sci. 19, 279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iijima, T. and Potemra, T. A.: 1976, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 5971.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamide, Y. and Rostoker, G.: 1977, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 5589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kan, J. R.: 1982, Space Sci. Rev. 31, 71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. S., Graham, D. A., and Wang, C. S.: 1979, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 17, 2049.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirsch, E., Krimigis, S. M., Sarris, E. T., Lepping, R. P., and Armstrong, T. P.: 1977, Geophys. Res. Letters 4, 137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirsch, E., Krimigis, S. M., Sarris, E. T., and Lepping, R. P.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 6727.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kisabeth, J. L. and Rostoker, G.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 5573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klumpar, D. M.: 1979, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 6524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klumpar, D. M. and Heikkila, W. J.: 1982, Geophys. Res. Letters 9, 873.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klumpar, D. M., Burrows, J. R., and Wilson, M. D.: 1976, Geophys. Res. Letters 3, 395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kokubun, S., McPherron, R. L., and Russel, C. T.: 1977, J. Geophys. Res 82, 74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krall, N. A. and Trivelpiece, A. W.: 1973, Principles of Plasma Physics, McGraw Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krimigis, S. M. and Sarris, E. T.: 1979, in S.-I. Akasofu (ed.), Dynamics of the Magnetosphere, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland, p. 599.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIlwain, C.: 1974, in B. M. McCormac (ed.), Magnetospheric Physics, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland, p. 143.

    Google Scholar 

  • McPerron, R. L.: 1970, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 5592.

    Google Scholar 

  • McPerron, R. L.: 1979, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 17, 657.

    Google Scholar 

  • McPherron, R. L., Russel, C. T., and Aubry, M. P.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 3131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng, C.-I.: 1971, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 862.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng, C.-I.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 4607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishin, V. M.: 1918, Aeron. 18, 961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montbriand, L. E.: 1971, in B.M. McCormac, (ed.), The Radiating Atmosphere, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland, p. 366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, M. D.: 1968, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 871.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mozer, F. S., Torbert, R. B., Fahleson, U. V., Fälthammar, C.-G., Gonfalone, A., and Pedersen, A.: 1978, Electric Field Measurements in the Solar Wind, Bowshock, Magnetosheath, Magnetopause and Magnetosphere. Proc. ESTEC Symposium, Innsbruck, May 1978.

  • Nishida, A.: 1976, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Solar-Terrestrial Physics, June 7–18, 1976, Boulder, Colorado, AGU, Washington D.C., p. 572.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishida, A. and Nagayama, N.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 3782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Northop, T. G.: 1963, Adiabatic Motion of Changed Particles, Interscience Publishers, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oguti, T.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 7543.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opgenoorth, H. J., Pellinen, R. J., Maurer, H., Küppers, F., Heikkila, W. J. Kaila, K. U., and Tanskanen, P.: 1980, J. Geophys. 48, 101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opgenoorth, H. J., Pellinen, R. J., Baumjohann, W., Nielsen, E., Marklund, G., Holmgren, G., and Eliasson, L.: 1983, accepted for publication in J. Geophys. Res.

  • Parker, E. N.: 1967, in Matsushita and Wallance H. Campbell (eds.), Physics of Geomagnetic Phenomena, Academic Press, New York and London, p. 1153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, A. and Grard, R.: 1978, Report ESLAB, No. 81, ESA.

  • Pellinen, R. J.: 1978, Geophysica 15, 42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellinen, R. J.: 1979a, Planet. Space Sci. 27, 19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellinen, R. J.: 1979b, ‘Induction Model and Observations of Onset of Magnetospheric Substorms’, PhD Thesis, University of Helsinki, Finland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellinen, R. J. and Heikkila, W. J.: 1978a, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 1544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellinen, R. J. and Heikkila, W. J.: 1978b, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 4207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellinen, R. J., Baumohann, W., Heikkila, W. J., Sergeev, V. A., Yahnin, A. G., Marklund, G., and Melnikov, A. O.: 1982, Planet. Space Sci. 30, 371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perreault, P. and Akasofu, S.-I.: 1978, Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 54, 547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potemra, T. A.: 1979, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 17, 640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pytte, T.: 1976, Scientific/Technical Rep. No. 96, Dep. of Physics, Univ. of Bergen, Norway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pytte, T., Trefall, H., Kremser, G., Jalonen, L., and Riedler, W.: 1976a, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys. 38, 739.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pytte, T., McPherron, R. L., and Kokubun, S.: 1976b, Planet. Space Sci. 24, 1115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robert, P., Gendrin, R., Perraut, S., Roux, A., and Pedersen, A.: 1982, submitted in J. Geophys. Res.

  • Roederer, J. G.: 1970, Dynamics of Geomagnetically Trapped Radiation, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rostoker, G. and Camidge, F. P.: 1971, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 6944.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarris, E. T., Krimigis, S. M., and Armstrong, T. P.: 1976a, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 2341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarris, E. T., Krimigis, S. M., Iijima, T., Bostrom, C. O., and Armstrong, T. P.: 1976b, Geophys. Res. Letters 3, 437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, G.: 1966, Physics of High Temperature Plasma: An Introduction, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, K.: 1974, J. Geophys. Res. 79, 2803.

    Google Scholar 

  • Semenov, V. S. and Sergeev, V. A.: 1981, Planet. Space Sci. 29, 271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shawhan, S. D.: 1979, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 17, 705.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, A. L. and Akasofu, S.-I.: 1972, J. Geophys. Res. 77, 3419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnerup, B. U. O.: 1979, in C. F. Kennel et al. (eds.), Space Plasma Physics: The Study of Solar-System Plasmas, North-Holland Publ. Co., Amsterdam, p. 879.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starkov, G. V., Raspopov, O. M., and Uspensky, M. V.: 1979, Report PGI 79–6 Polar Geophysical Institute, Apatity, U.S.S.R.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. P.: 1979, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. P. and Palmadesso, P.: 1975, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 4244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sulzbacher, H., Baumjohann, W., and Potemra, T. A.: 1980, J. Geophys. Res. 48, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift, D.: 1981, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 19, 185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terasawa, T.: 1981, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 9007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terasawa, T. and Nishida, A.: 1976, Planet. Space Sci. 24, 855.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullaland, S., Bjordal, J., Block, L.P., Brønstad, K., Iversen, I. B., Kangas, J., Korth, A., Kremser, G., Madsen, M. M., Moe, T., Riedler, W., Stadsnes, J., Tanskanen, P., and Torkar, K. M.: 1981, Adv. Space Res. 1, 273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Untiedt, J., Pellinen, R., Küppers, F., Opgenoorth, H. J., Pelster, W. D., Baumjohann, W., Ranta, H., Kangas, J., Czechowsky, P., and Heikkila, W. J.: 1978, J. Geophys. 45, 41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uspensky, M. V., Pellinen, R. J., Baumjohann, W., Starkov, G. V., Nielsen, E., Sofko, G., and Kaila, K. U.: 1983, J. Geophys. 52, 40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vallance Jones, A.: 1976, Aurora, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vallance Jones, A., Creutzberg, F., Gattinger, R. L., and Harris, F. R.: 1982, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 4489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasyliunas, V. M.: 1975, Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 13, 303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasyliunas, V. M.: 1976, in B. M. McCormac (ed.), Magnetospheric Particles and Fields, D. Reidel Publ. Co., Dordrecht, Holland, p. 99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasyliunas, V. M.: 1980, J. Geophys. Res. 85, 4616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whalen, B. A. and Daly, P. W.: 1979, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 4175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yahnin, A. G., Sergeev, V. A., Pellinen, R. J., Baumjohann, W., Kaila, K. U., Ranta, H., Kangas, J., and Raspopov, O. M.: 1983, accepted for publication in J. Geophys.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pellinen, R.J., Heikkila, W.J. Inductive electric fields in the magnetotail and their relation to auroral and substorm phenomena. Space Sci Rev 37, 1–61 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213957

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213957

Keywords

Navigation