IMF北向时磁层顶重联的模拟研究

本文基于自己开发的全球三维磁层模型,模拟研究了IMF(Interplanetary Magnetic Field)北向时磁层顶重联及磁尾结构.结果发现磁层顶附近存在两种典型的重联过程:一是高纬极尖区IMF与地球磁场的重联,这与空间观测证据和前人的模拟结果是一致的;二是重联后一端在太阳风中另一端与地球相连的磁力线在向磁尾运动中,会发生弯曲、拖曳,在磁尾晨昏侧低纬区域可与尾瓣开放磁力线满足重联条件而再次发生重联.我们认为前一重联会使磁尾等离子片产生与IMF时钟角方向相反的旋转;而后者可重新形成闭合磁力线,可能是LLBL(Low Latitude Boundary Layer)形成的重要原因.     

磁层顶的涡旋诱发重联和单X线重联

用二维MHD数值模拟研究了地球磁层顶的涡旋重联和单X线重联,并将两者作了比较。涡旋重联和单X线重联各在Alfvèn马赫数M_Λ大于和小于0.5时出现于向阳面磁层顶。前者所产生的磁岛与涡旋同心重叠;后者磁力线重联仅产生X点,而不闭合形成磁岛,涡旋分布于X点两侧。在涡旋重联的自组织过程中,互螺旋度等近似守恒决定其渐近态的拓扑结构。最后,讨论了这两种重联对通量传输事件所起的不同作用。     

模拟IMF北向且By分量占主导时磁层顶重联

本文基于自己开发的全球三维磁层模型, 模拟研究了IMF(Interplanetary Magnetic Field)北向并且B_y分量较大(时钟角为60°)时磁层顶三维结构及其重联图像. 结果发现, IMF B_y为正时, 在北极隙区附近尾-昏侧存在IMF与地磁场之间稳定持续的重联现象;参与重联的地球磁场既有闭合磁力线也有开放磁力线;IMF在北极隙区与地球闭合磁力重联后一端与南磁极相连的磁力线在尾向运动时还可能与北尾瓣的开放磁力线重联而重新闭合, 这种重联与磁力线循环过程不同于同一条IMF磁力线分别在南北半球与地磁场重联的模型. 南极隙区的重联发生在尾-晨侧, 其动力学过程与北极隙区情形类似. 我们的模拟结果表明, IMF B_y较大时不可能发生IMF同一条磁力线分别在南北极隙区重联的情形, 也不会因此而减少尾瓣的开放磁力线.     

磁层顶的涡旋诱发重联和单X线重联

用二维MHD数值模拟研究了地球磁层顶的涡旋重联和单X线重联,并将两者作了比较。涡旋重联和单X线重联各在Alfvèn马赫数M_Λ大于和小于0.5时出现于向阳面磁层顶。前者所产生的磁岛与涡旋同心重叠;后者磁力线重联仅产生X点,而不闭合形成磁岛,涡旋分布于X点两侧。在涡旋重联的自组织过程中,互螺旋度等近似守恒决定其渐近态的拓扑结构。最后,讨论了这两种重联对通量传输事件所起的不同作用。     

磁层顶高纬边界层的瞬时重联过程

用二维可压缩的ＭＨＤ模型模拟研究了北半球背阳面磁层顶区的瞬时重联过程．结果表明,当行星际磁场（ＩＭＦ）具有南向Ｂｚ分量和背太阳向Ｂｘ分量时,ＩＭＦ与地磁场联接,磁层顶向外扩张,在等离子体幔区可形成流体旋涡,磁力线被扭曲,但不易形成磁涡旋;当ＩＭＦ具有北向Ｂｚ分量时,不论Ｂｘ分量是背向太阳或指向太阳,都可发生瞬时重联,而且当ＩＭＦＢｘ分量与地磁场Ｂｘ分量反向时,在等离子体幔区更易形成磁涡旋．这两种情况,在磁层顶边界层区都能产生多层的电流片．     

磁层顶高纬边界层的瞬时重联过程

用二维可压缩的ＭＨＤ模型模拟研究了北半球背阳面磁层顶区的瞬时重联过程．结果表明，当行星际磁场（ＩＭＦ）具有南向Ｂｚ分量和背太阳向Ｂｘ分量时，ＩＭＦ与地磁场联接，磁层顶向外扩张，在等离子体幔区可形成流体旋涡，磁力线被扭曲，但不易形成磁涡旋；当ＩＭＦ具有北向Ｂｚ分量时，不论Ｂｘ分量是背向太阳或指向太阳，都可发生瞬时重联，而且当ＩＭＦＢｘ分量与地磁场Ｂｘ分量反向时，在等离子体幔区更易形成磁涡旋．这两种情况，在磁层顶边界层区都能产生多层的电流片．     

地球磁层顶湍动重联的数值模拟

用二维磁流体力学数值模拟研究了磁层顶的磁场湍动重联．提出了一个新的磁场湍动重联模型．数值模拟表明,如果磁层顶是一个开放系统并同时存在磁场剪切和流场剪切,当雷诺数和磁雷诺数超过某临界数值时,磁场重联具有很强的湍动特性,可产生许多不同尺度的磁岛和涡旋结构．随着雷诺数和磁雷诺数的增大和减小,大尺度结构能破碎成中小尺度结构,小尺度结构也能合并成大中尺度结构．湍动重联是涡旋诱发重联在一定条件下的过渡．依据本文的模拟结果,我们预言：磁层预可发生准定常重联、瞬时局地重联和湍动重联等多种重联过程;大中小不同尺度的结构都可以存在于磁层顶;湍动重联及其所产生的中小尺度结构在太阳风－磁层的能量、动量和质量耦合过程中可起重要作用．     

地球磁层顶湍动重联的数值模拟

用二维磁流体力学数值模拟研究了磁层顶的磁场湍动重联．提出了一个新的磁场湍动重联模型．数值模拟表明，如果磁层顶是一个开放系统并同时存在磁场剪切和流场剪切，当雷诺数和磁雷诺数超过某临界数值时，磁场重联具有很强的湍动特性，可产生许多不同尺度的磁岛和涡旋结构．随着雷诺数和磁雷诺数的增大和减小，大尺度结构能破碎成中小尺度结构，小尺度结构也能合并成大中尺度结构．湍动重联是涡旋诱发重联在一定条件下的过渡．依据本文的模拟结果，我们预言：磁层预可发生准定常重联、瞬时局地重联和湍动重联等多种重联过程；大中小不同尺度的结构都可以存在于磁层顶；湍动重联及其所产生的中小尺度结构在太阳风－磁层的能量、动量和质量耦合过程中可起重要作用．     

磁层顶磁岛结构及其非线性行为

解析研究了磁层顶磁岛结构时间演化的非线性过程；推导出磁岛宽度的解析式和磁岛发生分叉、混沌的条件；论证了磁重联生成的磁岛有不稳定平衡结构，外扰作用会破坏该结构，使磁岛出现突变和混沌；说明了中小尺度太阳风脉动易使磁岛破碎，导致磁场湍动重联，形成小尺度结构．     

地球磁层顶磁场重联的动力学过程

用三维可压缩MHD数值模拟研究了在磁场重联过程中电子压力梯度项的效应研究结果发现在较高等离子体β,较小离子惯性尺度条件下,广义欧姆定理中压力梯度项在重联过程的作用不可忽略.在磁重联过程中,压力梯度项虽然没有明显改变磁场拓扑结构和重联速度,但它使电子和离子速度明显增大.由于在离子惯性尺度下,离子和电子运动解耦,电子是电流的主要载流子,所以场向电流也增大,并导致核心磁场明显增大.考虑到场向电流是磁层电离层耦合的一个重要因素,所以电子压力梯度项的引入加强了行星际磁场南向期间磁层电离层的耦合.电子压力梯度项还在重联区激发了波动,该波动可向重联区外传播.     

Hall effect on magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause

We analyze in situ observations of magnetic reconnection at the Earth magnetopause to estimate the importance of the Hall current during the merging of interplanetary and magnetospheric magnetic field lines. The reconnection process is studied through numerical simulations, integrating the Hall MHD equations in 2.5 dimensions. A large influence of the Hall effect is found, which can be measured by a significant increase of the reconnection rate.     

K-H不稳定性在多电流片系统磁场重联中的效应

等离子体系统中存在两个或多个电流片时,电流片中发生的不稳定性可能会相互作用．行星际磁场北向时,背阳面碰层顶电流片与磁尾等离子体片之间可能发生相互作用,高纬边界层强烈的流场剪切可能促进磁场重联,产生磁层亚暴．本文运用二维可压缩磁流体模拟研究具有强流场剪切的多个电流片系统中磁场重联的演化．结果表明,Kelvin－Helmholtz不稳定性使多电流片系统的磁场重联过程明显加快;相邻电流片之间的距离越近,两者相互作用越强,重联增长率越大;在三电流片系统中,超Alfven速度强流场导致外侧两个电流片中出现强烈的磁场重联,并引发中心电流片的磁场重联．行星际磁场北向时,也可能发生磁层亚暴．     

K-H不稳定性在多电流片系统磁场重联中的效应

等离子体系统中存在两个或多个电流片时，电流片中发生的不稳定性可能会相互作用．行星际磁场北向时，背阳面碰层顶电流片与磁尾等离子体片之间可能发生相互作用，高纬边界层强烈的流场剪切可能促进磁场重联，产生磁层亚暴．本文运用二维可压缩磁流体模拟研究具有强流场剪切的多个电流片系统中磁场重联的演化．结果表明，Kelvin－Helmholtz不稳定性使多电流片系统的磁场重联过程明显加快；相邻电流片之间的距离越近，两者相互作用越强，重联增长率越大；在三电流片系统中，超Alfven速度强流场导致外侧两个电流片中出现强烈的磁场重联，并引发中心电流片的磁场重联．行星际磁场北向时，也可能发生磁层亚暴．     

行星际磁场B_y对弓激波影响的MHD结果

利用全球磁流体模拟的结果,本文研究了行星际磁场B_y对弓激波位型的影响.结果显示:随着行星际磁场B_y绝对值的增大,弓激波的日下点距离、旋转对称张角、南北非对称性以及旋转非对称性均随之增加.其中,B_y对弓激波日下点距离的影响可达5 RE左右.东向B_y和西向B_y对弓激波位型影响具有对称性,东向B_y和西向B_y大小相同时弓激波日下点距离、旋转对称张角以及旋转非对称性参数均相同,而南北非对称性参数大小相同正负相反.行星际磁场B_y占主导时弓激波尾部横截面在南北方向上拉伸,并且拉伸程度随着B_y绝对值的增大而增大,弓激波尾部横截面的拉伸现象与磁声波马赫数密切相关.     

磁通量浮现驱动磁场重联的数值研究

应用二维时变可压缩磁流体动力学数值模拟,研究了双极－单极磁场中由于磁通量浮现驱动的磁场重联过程．结果表明,双极场与单极场间磁力线的重联形成上升的冷而密的等离子体团,磁场演变成鞭状结构．向上运动的等离子体团到达其最大高度后将回落和弥散.等离子体团最大上升速度达０．１４ＶＡ,等离子体最大上升速度达０．２７ＶＡ,ＶＡ为下边界处的Ａｌｆｖｅｎ速度．随着磁通量浮现幅度的增大,等离子体上升速度增加,重联过程发展得较快．背景等离子体β１值（β１为等离子体压力与磁压之比）越小,等离子体团中密度增量越大．磁Ｌｕｎｄｑｕｉｓｔ数Ｓ在１０３－１０６之间的改变对等离子体的速度和密度增量影响并不明显．与电阻撕裂模不稳定性引起的自发重联相比,磁通量浮现会更有效地驱动双极－单极场中的磁场重联过程,寻致日冕Ｈα冲浪和Ｘ射线喷流的形成．     

磁场重联中的电子加速机制的数值模拟研究

在应用2.5维混合模拟方法研究Petschek模型磁场重联的基础上,考察了试验电子被加速的特征. 模拟结果表明,稳态的低频重联场能将少量试验电子加速到高能,电子的能谱为幂律谱,但总体分布函数未发生显著变化. 电子在整个加速过程中被束缚在低磁场的加速区内,由重联产生的感应电场Ey分量对其直接加速,根据加速时间和加速区域可以将这些电子分为两种情况：初始位于加速区和漂移到加速区被加速.     

Energetics characteristics of the super magnetic storm on November 20,2003 based on 3D global MHD simulation

The three-dimensional global magnetohydrodynamic model(PPM-LR MHD)is employed to investigate the energy budget in the solar wind-magnetosphere system during the super magnetic storm on November 20,2003,one of the biggest storms during the last decade with Dst~-500 n T.During this event,about 23%solar wind kinetic energy is transferred into the magnetosphere.The total energy input is estimated to be about 9.50×1017 J,about 14 times of a moderate storm.The energy dissipation via the inner magnetosphere is less than the energy input with the coupling efficiency of~63.3%.The energy dissipated via ring current injection is less than that via high-latitude ionosphere at the initial stage of the super storm.Furthermore,both the simulation results and the empirical results indicate that the ratio of ring current injection to the total energy output increases with the enhancement of the magnetospheric activity level.These are consistent with the statistical results we have got before.The empirical equations underestimate the solar wind kinetic energy,the energy input,and the energy dissipation via high-latitude ionosphere compared with the simulation results;however,the coupling efficiency of the high-latitude ionosphere(23.4%)is close to the simulation result(23.1%)during the entire storm time period.     

Parallel 3-D Simulation of a Fault Gouge Using the Lattice Solid Model

Despite the insight gained from 2-D particle models, and given that the dynamics of crustal faults occur in 3-D space, the question remains, how do the 3-D fault gouge dynamics differ from those in 2-D? Traditionally, 2-D modeling has been preferred over 3-D simulations because of the computational cost of solving 3-D problems. However, modern high performance computing architectures, combined with a parallel implementation of the Lattice Solid Model (LSM), provide the opportunity to explore 3-D fault micro-mechanics and to advance understanding of effective constitutive relations of fault gouge layers. In this paper, macroscopic friction values from 2-D and 3-D LSM simulations, performed on an SGI Altix 3700 super-cluster, are compared. Two rectangular elastic blocks of bonded particles, with a rough fault plane and separated by a region of randomly sized non-bonded gouge particles, are sheared in opposite directions by normally-loaded driving plates. The results demonstrate that the gouge particles in the 3-D models undergo significant out-of-plane motion during shear. The 3-D models also exhibit a higher mean macroscopic friction than the 2-D models for varying values of interparticle friction. 2-D LSM gouge models have previously been shown to exhibit accelerating energy release in simulated earthquake cycles, supporting the Critical Point hypothesis. The 3-D models are shown to also display accelerating energy release, and good fits of power law time-to-failure functions to the cumulative energy release are obtained.     

Multiple Flux Rope Events at the High-Latitude Magnetopause: Cluster/Rapid Observation on 26 January, 2001

Cluster measurements of the cusp and high latitude magnetopause boundary on 26 January, 2001 confirm that the cusp is a dynamic region full of energetic charged particles and turbulence. An energetic ion layer at high-latitudes beyond and adjacent to the duskside magnetopause exists when the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) has a southward orientation. Multiple energetic ion flux bursts were observed in the energetic ion layer. Each energetic ion flux burst was closely related to a magnetic flux rope. The axes of the flux ropes lie in the direction pointing duskward/tailward and somewhat upward. An intense axis-aligned current flows inside the ropes, with the current density reaching ∼10⁻⁸ A/m². The main components of the energetic ions are protons, helium and CNO ions, which originate from the magnetosphere, flowing out into the magnetosheath along the axis of the flux ropes. The velocity of the magnetosheath thermal plasma relative to the deHoffman-Teller (DHT) frame is found to be basically along the axis of the flux ropes also, but towards the magnetosphere. These flux ropes seem to be produced somewhere away via magnetic reconnection and move at similar DHT velocities passing over the spacecraft. These observations further confirm that the high-latitude magnetopause boundary region plays an important role in the solar wind-magnetopause coupling.