Footnote:
Previously issued in print: 1995. - Includes bibliographical references. - Description based on print version record and publisher information
Description:
The magnetosphere is the region where cosmic rays & the solar wind interact with the Earth's magnetic field, creating such phenomena as the northern lights & other aurorae. The configuration & dynamics of the magnetosphere are of interest to planetary physicists, geophysicists, plasma astrophysicists, & to scientists planning space missions. The circulation of solar wind plasma in the magnetosphere & substorms have long been used as the principle paradigms for studying this vital region. The author here presents a synthesis of the convection & substorm literatures, & an analysis of convection & substorm interactions; he also suggests that the currently accepted steady reconnection model may be advantageously replaced by a model of multiple tail reconnection events, in which many mutually interdependent reconnections occur.