Synoptic variability of a CIR-driven open-closed boundary during solar minimum

The year 2008 marked a historically quiet period of solar activity during the declining phase of solar cycle 23. Such quiet time has permitted researchers to clearly distinguish the spectral signature of a corotating interaction region's (CIR) impact on the open-closed boundary (OCB) of the magnetosphere in the southern hemisphere's auroral zone. By using the PENGUIn AGOs network of ground-based magnetometers on the Antarctic continent, the synoptic behavior of the OCB during a CIR-driven magnetic storm has been studied. Observations were compared with results provided by the BATSRUS space weather model. It is shown that such synoptic magnetometer data sets of the OCB during these storms allows for a careful test of current space weather models.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Applied Physics - (M.S.)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Urban, Kevin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Andrew Gerrard
• Louis J. Lanzerotti
• Dale E. Gary

• Corotating interaction region (CIR)
• Open-closed boundary (OCB)
• Magnetosphere
• Spectral signature
• Other Physics

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/73

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.njit.edu:theses-1072