Magnetotails in the Solar System

About this book

All magnetized planets in our solar system (Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) interact strongly with the solar wind and possess well developed magnetotails. However, Mars and Venus have no global intrinsic magnetic field, yet they possess induced magnetotails. Comets have a magnetotail that is formed by the draping of the interplanetary magnetic field. In the case of planetary satellites (moons), the magnetotail refers to the wake region behind the satellite in the flow of either the solar wind or the magnetosphere of its parent planet. The largest magnetotail in our solar system is the heliotail, the "magnetotail" of the heliosphere. The great differences in solar wind conditions, planetary rotation rates, ionospheric conductivity, and physical dimensions provide an outstanding opportunity to extend our understanding of the influence of these factors on magnetotail processes and structure.

Volume highlights include: a discussion of why a magnetotail is a fundamental issue in magnetospheric physics; a unique collection of tutorials that cover a large range of magnetotails in our solar system; a comparative approach to magnetotail phenomena, including reconnection, current sheet, rotation rate, plasmoids, and flux robes; and a review of global simulation studies of the effect of ionospheric outflow on the magnetosphere-ionosphere system dynamics.

Magnetotails in the Solar System brings together for the first time in one book a collection of tutorials and current developments addressing different types of magnetotails. As a result, Magnetotails in the Solar System will appeal to a broad community of space scientists and be of interest to astronomers who are looking at tail-like structures beyond our solar system.

Contents

Preface
Keiling, Jackman, Delamere

Section I: Introduction
Vasyliûnas                                         The Magnetotail: An Unsolved Fundamental Problem of Magnetospheric Physics

Section II: Tutorials
1. Sundberg and Slavin
Mercury’s Magnetotail

2. Dubinin and Fraenz
Magnetotails of Mars and Venus

3. Robert McPherron
Earth’s Magnetotail

4. Krupp et al.
Jupiter’s Magnetotail

5. Jackman
Saturn’s Magnetotail

6. Arridge
Magnetotails of Uranus and Neptune

7. Jia
Satellites’ Magnetotails

8. Halekas et al.
The Moon’s Plasma Wake

9. Gombosi
Physics of Cometary Magnetospheres

10. McComas
The Heliotail

Section III:  Specialized Topics
11. Southwood
The Formation of Magnetotails: Fast and Slow Rotators Compared

12. Delamere
Solar Wind Interaction with the Giant Magnetospheres and Earth’s magnetosphere

13. Wing and Johnson
Solar Wind Entry and Transport at Earth’s and other Planetary’s Magnetotails

14. Hesse et al.
Magnetic Reconnection in Different Environments: Similarities and Differences

15. Eastwood and Kiehas
Origin and Evolution of Plasmoids and Flux Ropes in the Magnetotails of Earth and Mars

16. Otto et al.
Current Sheets in Planetary Magnetospheres

17. Haerendel
Substorms: Plasma and Magnetic Flux Transport from the Magnetic Tail into the Magnetosphere

18. Mitchell et al.
Injection, Interchange And Reconnection: Energetic Particle Observations in Saturn's Magnetotail

19. Reeves
Radiation Belt Electron Acceleration and the Role of the Magnetotail

20. Kepko et al.
The Substorm Current Wedge at Mercury and Earth

21. Wiltberger
Review of Global Simulation Studies of the Effect of Ionospheric Outflow on the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System Dynamics

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