Fractal Structure of the Heliospheric Plasma Sheet at the Earth's Orbit

An analysis of the data from the Wind and IMP-8 spacecraft revealed that a slow solar wind, flowing in the heliospheric plasma sheet, represents a set of magnetic tubes with plasma of increased density (N > 10cm-3 at the Earth's orbit). They have a fine structure at several spatial scales (fractality), from 2°-3°(at the Earth's orbit, it is equivalent to 3.6-5.4h, or (5.4-8.0)×106km) to the minimum about 0.025°, i.e. the angular size of the nested tubes is changed nearly by two orders of magnitude. The magnetic tubes at each observed spatial scale are diamagnetic, i.e. their surface sustains a flow of diamagnetic (or drift) current that decreases the magnetic field within the tube itself and increases it outside the tube. Furthermore, the value of β= 8πN(Te + Tp)]/B2 within the tube exceeds the value of βoutside the tube. In many cases total pressure P = N(Te + Tp) + B2/8πis almost constant within and outside the tubes at any one of the aforementioned scales.

Fractal Structure of the Heliospheric Plasma Sheet at the Earth's Orbit

An analysis of the data from the Wind and IMP-8 spacecraft revealed that a slow solar wind,flowing in the heliospheric plasma sheet, represents a set of magnetic tubes with plasma of increased density(N ＞ 10cm-3 at the Earth's orbit). They have a fine structure at several spatial scales (fractality), from2°-3° (at the Earth's orbit, it is equivalent to 3.6-5.4 h, or(5.4-8.0) × 106 km) to the minimum about0.025°, i.e. the angular siz.e of the nested tubes is changed nearly by two orders of magnitude. The magnetic tubes at each observed spatial scale are diamagnetic, i.e. their surface sustains a flow of diamagnetic (or drift)current that decreases the magnetic field within the tube itself and increases it outside the tube. Furthermore,the value of β = 8πN(Te + Tp)]/B2 within the tube exceeds the value of β outside the tube. In many cases total pressure P = N(Te + Tp) + B2/8π is almost constant within and outside the tubes at any one of the aforementioned scales.