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Magnetic Clouds

  • Chapter
Physics of the Inner Heliosphere II

Part of the book series: Physics and Chemistry in Space ((SPACE,volume 21))

Abstract

The existence of “plasma” clouds propagating from the sun to the earth was proposed as a cause of geomagnetic storms even before the existence of the solar wind was contemplated [6.49,15]. Such plasma clouds (now usually called ejecta or ejections) are routinely observed in the solar wind. As a consequence of the frozen-in property of magnetic fields in a fully ionized plasma, a beam of plasma from the sun carries along the solar magnetic field [6.2]. The idea of a plasma cloud and that of frozen-in magnetic fields were combined in the concept of a “magnetized plasma cloud” [6.54,55,26,17]. The magnetic field in a magnetized cloud might be either turbulent [6.54] or in the form of a smooth loop or tongue [6.17,26]. There is a question as to whether a Forbush decrease in cosmic ray intensity is caused by scattering from turbulent magnetic fields [6.54] or drifting in strong ordered magnetic fields [6.17]. In the original model of a tongue the magnetic field lines connect to the sun. It was later suggested that the magnetic field lines could disconnect from the sun by the process of magnetic reconnection [6.58]. Thus, thirty years ago, the concept of a magnetized plasma cloud was being considered, and the possibilities of turbulent clouds versus ordered clouds and connected clouds versus disconnected clouds were being debated. Figure 6.1 summarizes the early views of magnetic clouds and ejecta.

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  1. Leonard F. E. Burlaga
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Burlaga, L.F.E. (1991). Magnetic Clouds. In: Schwenn, R., Marsch, E. (eds) Physics of the Inner Heliosphere II. Physics and Chemistry in Space, vol 21. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75364-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75364-0_1

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