edu.ucar.opensky::articles:22444 UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact 2025-12-25T15:39:23.330143 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7hd7zqk The relative importance of geoeffective length versus Alfvén wing formation in the saturation of the ionospheric reverse convection potential 2019-02-16T00:00:00Z publication https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7hd7zqk https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080639 Wilder, F. D. author Lopez, R. E. author Eriksson, S. author Pham, Kevin author Lin, D. author UCAR/NCAR - Library publisher We compare the relative importance of two competing mechanisms (Alfven wing vs. magnetosheath force balance) in determining the saturation of the reverse convection potential under northward interplanetary magnetic field. We run the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry magnetohydrodynamic model under strong northward interplanetary magnetic field (20 nT) twice: once with a solar wind number density of 20 cm(-3) and once with a density of 2 cm(-3). We find that the reverse convection potential is reduced for the low-density run, as predicted by both models. We also find that despite the formation of Alfven wings, the sunward flows in the magnetosphere are governed by the local reconnection physics. Further, the length of the x-line poleward of the cusp is reduced by a factor of 2 for the low-density run. This suggests that the reverse convection potential is governed by the local reconnection physics at the x-line and the geoeffective length. UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact PDF Text theme Resource Type 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z publication Copyright 2019 American Geophysical Union. None eng geoscientificInformation