PRESENTATION

(SPACE PHYSICS)

PRITOM PARASHAR GOGOI

(M.Sc-14)
DEEPKRISHNA BORA (M.Sc-30)
 MAGNETOSPHERE
❖ Magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an
astronomical object in which charged particles are
affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a
star or planet with an active interior dynamo.
❖ In the space environment close to a planetary body, the
magnetic field resembles a magnetic dipole. Field lines
can be significantly distorted by the flow of electrically
conducting plasma as emitted from the Sun (i.e., the solar
wind) or a nearby star.
❖ It is created by a star or planet with an active interior
dynamo.
 EARTH’s MAGNETOSPHERE
❖ It’s formed due to the motion of charged particles (molten
iron & nickel) in the Earth’s outer core.
❖ The rotation axis and magnetic axis of earth is titled at an
angle 11 degrees.
❖ Magnetic field intensity varies from 25 to 65 microtesla.
❖ The North geomagnetic pole, located near Greenland in
the northern hemisphere, is actually the south pole of the
Earth's magnetic field, and the South geomagnetic pole is
the north pole. Unlike a bar magnet, however, Earth's
magnetic field changes over time because it is generated
by a geodynamo
❖ The solar wind intersects the magnetic field at
the day – deflected by Lorentz force.
❖ Particles to travel around the planet instead of
bombarding the atmosphere.
❖ The magnetosphere spread like a hemisphere
in the day side and drawn towards the
opposite side in a tail.
❖ The boundary region is called magneto pause.
❖ Some particles can penetrate the
magnetosphere through partial
recombination of magnetic field lines. They
are trapped in Van Allen radiation belts.
 Structure of Magnetosphere

• Outer Magnetosphere---
Bow shock
Magnetosheath
Magnetopause
Magnetotail
• Inner Magnetosphere---
Radiation Belt
Plasmasphere
Ring Current
• Bow shock: Interplanetary space with the
body.
• Magnetosheath: Region of the
magnetosphere between the bow shock and the
magnetopause. It is formed mainly from shocked
solar wind, though it contains a small amount of
plasma from the magnetosphere.
• Magnetopause: The pressure from the
planetary magnetic field is balanced with the
pressure from the solar wind.
• Magnetotail: Where the magnetosphere
extends far beyond the astronomical object. It
contains two lobes, referred to as the northern
and southern tail lobes.
 Earth’s Radiation Belts
• Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic
charged particles are captured by and held around
earth by that planet’s magnetic field.
• It protects the atmosphere from energetic particles.
• The belts are inner region of earth’s
magnetosphere.
• The inner Van Allen Belt – 1000km to 12000km.
❖ Plasmasphere: The plasmasphere, or inner magnetosphere, is a
region of the Earth's magnetosphere consisting of low-energy (cool)
plasma. It is located above the ionosphere. The outer boundary of the
plasmasphere is known as the plasmapause, which is defined by an
order of magnitude drop in plasma density.

❖ Ring Current:
Consequences of Earth Losing Magnetosphere

• Compasses Would do Strange

Things.
• Birds Couldn’t Migrate for the
Winter.
• The Aurora Wouldn’t Be The Same.
• Cosmic Rays Could Reach Earth’s
Surface.
• Widespread Power Outages and
Broken Satellites.
• Our Atmosphere Could be Stripped
Away.
THANK YOU
Solar wind interaction with Earth’s
magnetosphere

By : Pritom Parashar Gogoi , M.Sc 14

 Magnetic field of Earth:

▪Earth’s magnetic field is due to the motion of molten iron core inside earth
▪It resembles with that of a magnet
▪Field stronger at pole than at equator
▪B inversely proportional to r3.
 Solar wind:

Stream of charged particles released from the

sun.
•High energetic
•Very fast(400-1200)km/sec
 2600 B.C. first mention of Aurora in China

1619 A.D., Galileo Galilei coined the

term Aurora( Roman God)

1903 A.D. K. Birkeland concluded that aurora is

caused by currents flowing through our upper
atmosphere
Solar stroms & sub stroms :
it is a temporary disturbance in the earth’s magnetosphere

3 phases:-
•Sudden strom commencement (ssc)
•Main phase
•Recovery phase
 Sources :
• Mark Moldwin book
• science@nasa.gov
• https://youtu.be/RnbUEzknLUQ
• https://youtu.be/o4FSg-90XlA
• explore/aurora-borealis
• https://www.spaceweather.com/