Bifurcation of Jovian magnetotail current sheet

P. L. Israelevich (1) , A. I. Ershkovich (1)

1 TAU - Department of Geophysical, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences [Tel Aviv]

Multiple crossings of the magnetotail current sheet by a single spacecraft give the possibility to distinguish between two types of electric current density distribution: single-peaked (Harris type current layer) and double-peaked (bifurcated current sheet). Magnetic field measurements in the Jovian magnetic tail by Voyager-2 reveal bifurcation of the tail current sheet. The electric current density possesses a minimum at the point of the B_x-component reversal and two maxima at the distance where the magnetic field strength reaches 50% of its value in the tail lobe.

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère; Sciences de la Terre

P. L. Israelevich, A. I. Ershkovich. Bifurcation of Jovian magnetotail current sheet. Annales Geophysicae, 2006, 24 (6), pp.1479-1481. ⟨hal-00318080⟩