Introductory and Background Material - The Earth's Ionosphere: Plasma Physics and Electrodynamics - page 21

Sun

Earth

Earth orbit

Above
Below

Figure 1.14 Three-dimensional sketch of the solar equatorial current sheet and associ-
ated magnetic field lines. The current sheet is shown as lying near the solar equator with
spiraled, outward-pointing magnetic fields lying above it and inward-pointing fields lying
below it. The current sheet contains folds or flutes. When the sun rotates, an observer
near the ecliptic will alternately lie above and below the current and will see a changing
sector pattern. The inset shows a meridional cross section with the earth below the current
sheet. (Figure courtesy of S.-I. Akasofu.)

B I SW

Spiral magnetic field lines

Ecliptic plane

Sun

IMF

V SW

Solar wind

â x

GSE Coordinates

â y â z

Earth

Figure 1.15 The spiral magnetic field viewed in the ecliptic plane as it is stretched out
from the solar surface by the solar wind. The illustrated coordinate system is the GSE
system. In this sketch there is one “away” sector and one “toward” sector in the magnetic
structure of the solar wind as it sweeps by the earth.