Magnetospheric electric convection field (nonfiction)

The magnetospheric electric convection field generated by solar wind interacting with the earth's magnetosphere.

Its general direction is from dawn to dusk. The co-rotating thermal plasma within the inner magnetosphere drifts orthogonal to that field and to the geomagnetic field Bo.

The generation process is not yet completely understood:

• One possibility is viscous interaction between solar wind and the boundary layer of the magnetosphere (magnetopause).
• Another process may be magnetic reconnection.
• A hydromagnetic dynamo process in the polar regions of the inner magnetosphere may be possible.

Direct measurements via satellites have given a fairly good picture of the structure of that field.

A number of models of that field exists, notably the widely used Volland-Stern model.

• Magnetospheric electric convection field @ Wikipedia